The Walking Dead: Tables Turned
by BehindTheCorner
Summary: "I failed to protect her... and she died because of it." What if it wasn't Lee who died, but in fact Clementine? Now having to deal with the guilt and pain from losing someone he thought of as his own daughter, Lee must carry on battling the demons of the world whilst battling his own inner demons at the same time. Will he be able to do it, or will he perish just like Clementine?
1. All That Remains

_**Disclaimer – I don't own The Walking Dead Game or the characters used in this story, save a few that appear from time to time.**_

-f-

Quiet. Cold. The hallway had no life within it, just like the world surrounding it, and behind every door the growls of the dead can be heard softly. Footsteps echoed through the emptiness as Lee made his way through the darkness, eyes scanning the doors quickly and retreating once the growls warned him off.

Not this door.

Not that door.

Being seen off by the threat of the undead just behind the locked doors; he kept trying every one. Eventually, he was rewarded with one that was completely silent, save for the faint sounds of weeping that broke his heart. His mind jumped to the conclusion that the crying was Clementine, that she needed his help, and that was enough for him to open the door slowly; his gaze grazing over the entire room before he determined it safe. Entering with caution, body tense and ready to fight, he noticed that the door at the end of the room was locked by a rope, connecting it to the closet door and keeping whoever was in there prisoner.

"Clem?" His deep, gravelly voice called out. "Clementine? It's me, Lee."

All was silent. The crying had stopped. The lack of a response made the hairs on the back of Lee's neck stand up, and his chest began to feel tight as he pushed himself to near the locked door. A hand stretched out to remove the rope, when all of a sudden the sound of a gun perked his ears and he froze completely, breaths dying in his throat as his mind began racing between fright and anger. Whoever was behind him, holding the gun to his head and threatening him, was the man who stole Clementine away from him.

Twisting the top half of his body around, his glare was met full-heartedly by a man looking the same age as Lee, if not slightly older going off the wrinkles and bags underneath his soulless eyes; though that can be contributed by the stress of getting through each day. Though this was not what was grabbing Lee's attention; the gun in his hand was what was grabbing it. They both stared at each other, almost daring one another to move or strike, though neither did so. Instead, the man simply smirked.

"I got his adjoining rooms." His voice was chilled, and was almost non-human to listen to. It was like the world had sucked all of what made this man human and just left an empty shell; no emotions, no expressions, nothing. Glaring at the man with all the hate that he can muster, Lee didn't reply. Instead, he thought back to all that he sacrificed to get this far; all the people that he cared about gone... all because of him stealing Clementine away from them. This kept him going as the man pointed to the chairs facing one another. However, before any of them could move, a faint voice called out.

"Lee?" It sounded tired, almost as if the person couldn't stay awak much longer, and instantly Lee knew it was Clementine calling out to him. "Where are you? Are... you still there?"

The click of the gun killed the words he was going to say, and he could not say any more as the stranger put his finger to his lips, signalling to him to remain silent. Doing so, Lee was powerless as the man replied. "Be quiet, sweetie."

The young child complied, and Lee couldn't help but think about how scared she must be, how tired and hungry as he didn't even know if the bastard in front of him even feeds her. With the silence once more filling them chilled air, the men trudged over and sat in the two chairs, the gun still threatening Lee to remain where he was and not to do anything that result in the stranger pulling the trigger and ending this conversation.

After only a few seconds of sitting there did the man finally speak. "Do you know who I am?"

What sort of question was that? Why should Lee care about who this person is or why he did what he's done? He's taken Clementine from him, resulting in them going after him and losing not only the boat, their only means of escaping Savannah, but Ben and Kenny. His glare heated as he sneered. "No. I don't know anything about you."

"You wouldn't." The stranger snapped, his voice sharp and filled with so much hate. "People like you don't."

People like him? Lee was confused by what the man meant by that. There was things he had done that he was not proud of, but he could not recall anything that involved the person in front of him and explain the intense hatred. Not giving him the ability to reply and ask what he meant, the stranger carried on. "Now you're probably thinking 'Who would have it out for me?', huh? A few weeks back... there might have been a station wagon in the forest."

The station wagon. Lee could perfectly recall the incident involving that station wagon and the abundance of supplies within; Kenny deciding that the group needed these supplies, to which Lee could agree that they did, and ended up taking them all. He remembered going along with it, against Clementine's wishes, and the look of disappointment on her youthful face was still burnt into his mind. Looking back on it, he felt a tinge of regret for his actions; but he also remembered how starved they were, how they surely would have all perished without that food. Even Clementine.

Reading his expression clearly, the stranger chuckled bitterly and replied. "Yeah. I'm not some cannibal, Lee. Some killer in the woods... Some _villian._ I was a dad."

Kenny was a dad. Larry was a dad. Lee thought about how all those people wanted to do was to protect those they cared about, how he even thought of himself as Clementine's father figure, and then thought about the terrible things that they had to do to protect their loved ones. This man in front of him was a father, and yet Lee couldn't care less about what he was. He cared about what he was then, and all he could see was a monster who destroyed _everything_ that Lee held dear. Not paying attention anymore to what the stranger had to say, Lee leaned forward and frowned.

"Everything was out there for the taking! We were starving, we had noth-!"

"For the taking?!" The yell silenced Lee for a moment as he watched the man's grip on the gun tighten. "Do you realize on what you took from me?!"

"Don't you start who took what from who!" he scolded, pushing the fear down as anger quickly replaced it. "You took that little girl from me! You told her that you had her parents, and yet they're not here! _You lied to her!_ "

The kidnapper paused in his accusations before shaking his head. "I'm not a bad man, Lee. I don't believe in vengeance but I don't have nothing left."

A long sigh followed that and for the first time, Lee could actually see how tired the man in front of him was, both physically and emotionally. It made him think about how the world can twist even the most average man into someone completely different, how it can strip you of everything you love until you're nothing but a husk who does whatever you want to because there's no one left around you that you can hurt doing so. The question he asked next was quieter, his voice losing most of its sharp edge. "Have you ever hurt anyone that you cared about?"

The way he asked it made Lee felt like the question was more for the stranger rather than him, but none the less it made him think. It was true. Lee hurt more people than he can think of, some more than others, but hurt them all the same. He left Doug to die and didn't stop Lilly from killing Carley over a stupid misunderstanding, only for Lilly to later leave them stranded and steal the RV. He watched Kenny, his best friend throughout this entire time, lose all his family in one go and then perish in the alleyway saving the same kid that got them killed in the first place. Then he remembered Clementine...

He tried to protect her, shield her from all that was happening, and yet he couldn't protect her so many times. To then top it all off, he then had to break to the young girl that they couldn't find her parents, the people she cared about so much, and could only watch as she cried to herself as he watched from the couch. Eventually, he replied with a saddened. "Yeah..."

"Who?" the man asked, curious to who his hostage was talking about.

"A lot of people." Lee sighed, staring down at the floor with guilt in his eyes. "They looked to me. I was like their leader to them, and hell... I began to believe I was myself. But I was wrong, I let them all down... And now they're dead because of me."

For a moment, the stranger allowed sympathy to wash over his face before locking his feelings away once more, and returned to his self-pity as he mumbled. "I hurt her so bad... I took my son, Adam, out hunting one day. She said he was too young but I figured... he gotta learn. I came back without him and the look on her face said... You are a monster. So we went out and looked for him. We searched and searched until we were exhausted but... we couldn't find him. Then we came back and found out that all our stuff was stolen by your people."

A pause allowed him to take a deep breath and compose himself when he got too emotional, and then he glared at Lee once more. "I could have earned her trust, Lee... but not after that."

They both fell silent as Lee mulled over what he just told him, how he and his group stole their food right after they lost their son. Eyes shimmering with guilt glanced up at the broken man in front of him and he softly apologized. "I'm sorry."

"The hungrier we got, the more she blamed me..." he ignored Lee's apology, eyebrows furrowing with newly-found anger. "Until she finally took our daughter, Elizabeth and left... They didn't get far though, I found them on the road a day later..."

Eyes widening with shock, Lee swallowed down the lump in his throat as he tried to think of what to say to that, how he could apologize for basically ruining this man's life. He wasn't given the chance however, as the stranger glared up at him and growled. "Do I look like a monster to you?"

If he asked Lee that when they first sat down, he would have said 'yes' in a second, but listening to his story and how Lee's actions have spun everything out of control; he began to understand the man in front of him a little more. "No. You look like a man who's lost everything, and has nothing left to lose. I've seen others like you. I've been like that one time."

His response seemed to have angered the stranger as he sneered. "I'm not like you. You walked a little girl into a dairy full of monsters and let them get their hands on her!"

That wasn't Lee's fault. The group was close to starving to death, and he didn't find out who they truly were until he found Mark in the bathroom without any legs. Angered by the accusation, he glared at the man and snapped. "It's more complicated than that! I didn't know what they were until-!"

"You let a boy be dragged off into the night to save a pretty girl with a gun!" The man continued his verbal assault, cutting Lee off in midst of his defence. Stunned by the mention of Doug, his memories flashed to the sight of the poor boy being dragged through the window and being eaten alive by the walkers. Trying to think of what to say, he shook his head as he responded. "I tried to save them both!"

"The sweatshirt she's wearing is my boy's! You _stole that off us!_ " His voice broke under the intense anger and grief that the man was going through at that moment in time. Unable to think of why he did what he did, Lee just breathed shakily and whispered. "I fucked up."

"Yeah, you did!" The peak of the emotional confrontation was beginning to fall then, and Lee looked down to see that in the midst of it, the man was pointing the gun furiously at him. After a few seconds he calmed down, and the gun slightly lowered as he slumped back into his chair. Lee was just sitting there, the accusations floating in his head as he tried to make sense of it all. The man wasn't there, so how could he have known?

"How could you have known all this?" he asked slowly, the harsh whisper that was his voice a strong contrast to the shouting that took place just then. Without uttering a single word, the stranger placed a walkie talkie on the table between them, and sat back as Lee finally realized that the man that Clementine was talking to weeks back at the Motel was in fact this man.

Relishing in the look of shock on Lee's face, the stranger didn't stop as he hissed. "You're a monster, Lee. You're a murderer and I'm gonna make sure that every minute of your pathetic existence is spent in agony for what you've done to me."

"Just give me Clementine back." Lee's voice was pleading, and he found himself not caring if it meant that he would be able to hold the small girl in his arms again. Mentioning this made the stranger guiltily glance away from Lee, and this only made him panic more as he begged once more. "Please... I just need to see her again."

"I can't allow that, Lee." He grumbled, still not meeting Lee's gaze as he continued. "She's not feeling well. She needs rest."

"What do you mean she's not feeling well?!" Lee snapped, almost allowing the panic to take over when he thought about Clementine being ill. "What have you done to her?!"

"I didn't do anything." The stranger replied coolly, raising his gun to warn Lee not to come any closer. Unable to take his rage out on the kidnapper, he was forced to sit back down again and stared at his attacker as he once again pleaded. "Just let us go."

"No..." the man replied, glaring at Lee before leaning forward and staring down at the bag between his legs. "Hey honey, I think everything is going to be alright."

Confused with this sudden action, Lee moved to say something when he noticed the rope locking Clementine in the room coming undone, the small girl becoming visible as she stalked quietly towards the pair. The man continued to talk to the bag as Lee took in how different Clementine looked to how she did when he last saw her; her hair even more messy than normal and her skin pale as well as deathly, eyes lost of all their gleam and shrunken into her face. Shocked by the stake, he glared angrily at the man as the young child grabbed the lamp off the desk by her door and sneaked behind the distracted stranger; bringing the weapon down on his head quickly and causing him to cry out.

With the needed distraction, Lee launched himself forward and collided with the kidnapper, sending them both tumbling backwards and for Lee to be sent off to the side as the stranger pushed him off. Landing on his side with a thump, he was too slow to stop the stranger from pushing his face with his hand and attempting to aim his gun at Lee's face; only for the weapon to be stopped with his free hand. They struggled like this for a couple of seconds before Lee managed to separate the gun from his attacker, pushing him away and sending the gun sliding across the floor to the closet door.

Composing himself, Lee noticed the stranger making for the gun and intercepted him, tackling him into the closet and breaking the doors. The two men struggled with one another as they both fought for the upper hand, Lee managing to get his hand around the stranger's neck and strangling him with all the might that the guardian could muster. He grunted loudly as he watched the life ebb away in his victim's eyes, and as his arms feebly attempting to push Lee off to no effect. Eventually, he lost the fight and finally passed away, slumping down against the broken closet as Lee just stood there; his heavy breathing the only thing that could be heard in the silent room. He then knelt down and picked up the gun, not bothering to shoot the body to prevent him coming back.

A soft voice turned his attention to behind him. "Lee?"

Spinning around quickly, his face lit up as he saw Clementine staring back up at him with a tired smile on her face. The two just stood there, taking in the sight of one another before they suddenly embraced each other, Clementine sniffling as she burrowed her head into Lee's shoulder. That moment seemed to last forever in his mind, and he would have wished it did before the young girl moved away and he could clearly see the distress on her face. "Sweet Pea, what's wrong?"

"Lee..." she gasped, hiccuping as she failed to contain her tears, them streaming down her face as she finally revealed. "W-when that man took me, we ran into one of the monsters and..."

The look on her face made Lee's heart speed up, her voice barely a whisper as she finished. "It bit me..."

Everything crashed down around Lee then, his mind racing to try and comprehend what he was just told, and yet fate wouldn't give him long as all the strength that Clementine must have mustered to save Lee faded suddenly, causing the little girl to faint. She would have collapsed if Lee hadn't been quick to catch her, a desperate gasp the only response as he gazed down at the dying child in front of him. He failed her. He failed everyone. The world would not keep his loved ones alive when he put so many others in the ground.

"Lee... Are you crying?" When she asked this did Lee realize the wetness on his face as he felt it with his hand, his fingers coming back glistened in tears. Agony gripped his chest as he nodded, unable to push the words out of his mouth, and could only watch as the little girl he was meant to protect was fading away in his arms; a soft smile on her face as she muttered. "'I'm glad I'm with you..."

"It's gonna be alright, Sweet Pea." he tried to reason, denial clouding his rationality as he stood up and moved towards the door, the young child in his arms. "We're gonna find Omid and Christa an-and we're gonna get you help. Just hang on, Sweet Pea, plea-please hang on!"

She took a shaky breath as she quietly replied to his desperate pleas. "Okay, Lee..."

Hand fiddling with the handle of the door, he wrenched it open only to come face-to-face with a walker on the other side, his gasp being silenced as it stood there sniffing. It didn't notice him for whatever reason and instead focused on Clementine. It was quickly shot by Lee to protect her, and he stood there in confusion, unable to determine why the walker homed in on Clementine instead of going for Lee. It was only then did he realize he was covered in walker blood from making his way to the Marsh House to find her, and the idea quickly formed in his head on how they were going to escape. Kneeling down beside the corpse, he placed Clementine on the floor and took out the hatchet from his back pocket, using the weapon to cut up the walker.

"W...What are you doing...?" he heard Clementine ask, turning to her with fresh blood on his hands. He noticed her disgusted look and smiled softly, replying to her question. "We need to cover ourselves in this. It's the only way we can escape Savannah."

Only receiving a hesitant nod as consent from her, he started rubbing the blood all over her clothes, staining the fabric a dull red as he made sure all of her was covered. As he did this, Clementine made it known how gross it was to her, and was encouraged by her guardian as he whispered. "I'm almost done, just gotta make sure."

"So... gross." she mumbled, her voice growing more and more strained as time went on. Trying to ignore how tired she sounded, Lee finished off covering her with the walker guts, before scooping her up into his arms once more. "We're gonna move really slow when we're outside. Don't look around and don't make a sound, okay?"

She nodded in response and closed her eyes for a few moments as Lee whispered. "I'll get you outta here."

Making his way through the hotel as quickly as he could, he didn't notice that the walkers were quiet then, and the stillness of the abandoned hotel was even more noticeable then. His mind was preoccupied with getting his little girl out of this place and to safety, then he would get her help. There had to be something he could do to save her. She can't die. She won't die, he won't let that happen. He reached the front door as quickly as he could before he paused, looking through the glass to see that they were in the herd; walkers as far as he could see just roaming around looking for their next meal. Glancing down at Clementine in his arms, he took a deep breath and opened the door, the roar of thousands of feet and growls deafened him as he took a moment to take it all in.

Clementine must have known that they were outside, as her body stiffened and she made a small noise of fear before going silent completely. With a reassuring look on his face, Lee made his way down the steps of the hotel and into the bulk of the hoard, walking as slowly as he could to blend in with the others. The buzz around him felt like it was increasing in volume and the close proximity between him and undead made his blood run cold. The sky was a dreary dark grey and signalled that it was going to become night time soon, the sound of thunder in the distance pushing him to hurry up and get out of Savannah. A walker knocked into him near the end and caused him to nearly topple over, Clementine quietly gasping as his grip on her loosened, before he regained his balance and carried on without looking back.

A gasp brought his attention downwards to the young girl as she stared off into a specific direction, her eyes brimming with tears as he turned his head to look in her direction; spotting two walkers stumbling around that looked familiar. The picture he found at Clementine's house flashed in his mind and he opened his mouth in shock; the walkers were Clementine's parents. Soft sniffling could be heard as the child failed to contain her grief, and she pressed her face into Lee's shirt in a desperate attempt to tell him to keep moving. He did so, and slowly made his way to the end of the street where the walkers were thinning out, only to stop once more when he felt Clementine's breathing becoming fainter.

She was dying. The realization that the time had come crashed down on his shoulders as he tried to kid himself just a little longer. There was no running from the truth however, and she gazed down at her with tear-filled eyes. He had to put her down. He couldn't let her become one of those things just like her parents, but there was nowhere for him to do it where the walkers wouldn't become attracted to the noise. Spotting a shutter that was open enough for him to slip in, he made a b-line for it and quickly fully shut the shutter to prevent any walkers from entering after them. With that done, he was still faced with the inevitable task of ending Clementine's suffering.

Placing the child against the wall on the far end of the store, he looked around for a way out for him, but could only see the exit blocked by a locked door and an undead security guard. He would need to break the window to reach in and unlock the door, and then he can take care of the walker. This was the last thing on his mind however, as the dying Clementine behind him was cutting deep wounds into his heart. Trying to focus on the problem of getting out just to avoid the pain of what was happening, he looked around for something to smash the window, and eventually spotted the baseball bat under the counter that must have been left behind by the owners.

Rushing over to it, he gripped the handle of the bat firmly and turned around, stopping in front of the door before whispering behind him. "Watch for broken glass, Sweet Pea."

He received no response and lowered his head slightly, before bringing the weapon down on the window and smashing it to millions of pieces, the noise startling the walker and causing it to begin growling loudly at the new potential meal. Ignoring the threat, he gripped his bat tighter and neared the walker cautiously, dodging the swinging hands so it didn't grab him. He swung as hard as he could and smashed the undead's skull in, the squelch echoing in the room as the killed monster slumped in its chair; allowing Lee to grab the keys to the exit as well as the gun.

He didn't want to turn around. The agonizing grief made his chest tighten and his cheeks wet with hot tears, his grip on the bat loosened so much that it fell to the floor with a clatter. With the gun in his hand then, he finally made himself turn around and move slowly towards Clementine; the child no longer noticing him there. He kneeled beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder, almost snatching his hand away to how still she felt. Her shallow breathing still showed she was alive, but only barely. Dull, amber eyes glanced up at her guardian and she frowned sadly. "I saw my parents."

"I know, Sweet Pea..." he replied, his voice cracking harshly. "We got away though."

She sniffed as tears fell from her eyes, her voice barely over a whisper as she cried. "They're dead for sure..."

Lee just knelt there as she began crying quietly, unable to bring himself to explain to her that she was going to die, that he failed to protect her. How could anyone say that to a child? To tell them that they can't be saved and so must be killed? Clementine had a right to know he thought though, and so took in a shaky breath and sighed.

"Clem..." he began, not knowing how to phrase it to her. "I know this must be hard to here but... We're not getting out of Savannah. The bad man left your bite for... for too long and-and..."

He stopped, on the verge of breaking down, when he heard Clementine whisper. "You have to shoot me, don't you?"

The reality of this was too much for the grown man as he simply nodded, causing the child to begin crying once more and forcing Lee to try and reassure her. "It's gonna be alright, Clem. You'll... you'll get to see your parents again. That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

"Y-Yeah, Lee... I did but..." she hiccuped once and continued. "I-I can't leave you!"

"It'll be okay... Shhh." he whispered, holding her small hand within his as he brought the gun up. Staring down at the thing in his other hand, he looked up at Clementine and saw that she closed her eyes again, waiting for the final blow. He wiped his face with the back of his hand and then whispered. "I'll miss you..."

Clementine squeezed his hand softly as she whispered back. "Me too..."

The time had come. Lee knew this, and yet it was almost impossible for him to lift the gun up. Eventually, he managed to and shakily aimed the weapon at Clementine, finger on the trigger ready to pull. He dropped his aim for a second and then forced himself to take aim once more, looking away as he pulled the trigger, flinching as the bang rang in the air and blood splattered onto his already bloodied shirt. He didn't want to look, but he wouldn't leave her there to rot either, and so he opened his eyes and wept as he saw what became of his sweet pea.

Grabbing her body, he lifted her up and turned around to leave the building, carefully stepping around the dead walker. Exiting the building and wandering aimlessly through the multiple alley-ways, he eventually found himself out of the streets of the city. Everything was numbed to the point that he had no idea where he was or where he was going. He even thought about the purpose of going on when he's failed to take care of someone he pledged to. _I'll look after you until then._

Yeah, right.

Hours, or at he thought hours, had passed before he even made it to the outskirts of the city, slowly looking around for an appropriate place to lay the dead child to rest. His arms tired as he continued walking, but he didn't give up none the less, he owed Clem that much. The city landscape turned into countryside, and the sun began to rise as he finally stopped, laying the body on the ground as he began to dig a grave with anything he could use; often resorting to his hands. Eventually, it was done and Clementine was placed inside, the dirt hitting on top of her with a thud as Lee carefully covered up back up. Next to him was a wooden cross he made with found twigs and drove it into the ground, sitting back to stare at the makeshift grave with a dazed gaze.

He wouldn't move from that spot. He didn't want to, and he didn't feel like there was any point anymore of moving. He wanted to stay there until eventually either hunger or thirst claimed him, and he would be with his family and everyone he loved again. He wouldn't be alone anymore. He heard footsteps behind him and still didn't move, not caring if it was bandits or walkers or anything. It wasn't until he heard Christa's voice did he bow his head further. "Lee? What happened? Where's Clem?!"

He didn't respond, or react when Christa's worried face came into view at the side. His voice was nothing when he sighed. "She's... gone..."

Immediately understanding what he meant, Christa covered her mouth in shock and stood up, Omid quick to comfort her as she softly wept for the loss of the small child. Tears wouldn't stop falling down Lee's face as he took out her hat from his back pocket, staring at it for minutes before placing it on top of his head. The trio stood there as Lee continued to mourn, before Christa softly tapped his shoulder and sighed. "We... We need to go, Lee."

"I know." He grumbled, still staring at the grave as he sniffed. "Just let me say goodbye."

"Alright..." she responded, removing her hand and backing off slightly as Lee placed his hand on the grave and closed his eyes momentarily, silently farewelling the child before standing up and walking between the other two survivors without uttering a single word. The couple glanced at each other with worry, before following after him quickly; leaving the grave and Clementine behind.


	2. Goodnight

It had been weeks that Lee had wondered the countryside with Christa and Omid by his side, and he was still in the dark state he was when he lost Clementine. There was no point in going on, nowhere that he could go that would make this pain go away, or save him from the world full of walkers and the monsters that still lived. He didn't want to be saved though. He wanted the pain to stop, but that would mean that the impossible would have to happen, that he would have his sweet pea by his side again. She wasn't coming back, and he would have to wake up every single day knowing that.

The silence was only broken by the crunching of grass under their boots as they trudged through the field, trees rustling off in the distance with the sound of birds tweeting. Lee shivered as a rogue wind blew through the trio, gripping his rifle with unnecessary force as he tugged his jacket closer to his body; desperate to gather some warmth. Christa paused for a moment as she placed her hand over her mouth; Omid quick to ask her. "Christa, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just..." she trailed off, before being cut off by the overwhelming feeling of nausea and turning to the side slightly, vomiting loudly into the golden field. Omid rushed to her side and patted her back softly, trying his best to make the experience not as terrible. Watching the couple care for each other, Lee just glanced around in search of any potential danger, returning his gaze at the two after a few seconds.

"Is she alright now?" he asked, his voice more cold than he intended. Omid noticed the chill in his words and frowned, but decided to let it slide due to the circumstances. Christa finished vomiting and straitened herself out again, smiling at her boyfriend in thanks for his loving gesture, before she stared at Lee. "I'm fine. Let's just keep going."

"You need rest, it's not good for the baby walking this long." Omid butted in, aiming the latter of his sentence more at Lee than Christa, as if making a point to the man. Glancing around once more, Lee just shook his head and grumbled. "We're out in the open. We gotta keep going until we reach the trees, then we can rest."

"Lee, we've been walking for ho-"

"No, he's right." Christa interrupted her other half, starting walking again as she added. "We're vulnerable if we stay out in the open. Let's keep moving."

Omid seemed dissatisfied with the outcome, but none the less he obeyed his pregnant girlfriend's wishes and kept walking. Silence fell upon them once more like a thick blanket, so thick that it could have been sliced with a knife, and yet Lee preferred the quiet to Christa and Omid talking to him. Asking him about if he wanted to talk, or their own damn problems with the baby. Disturbed by this reaction within him, he just shook his head softly and carried on walking, eyes staring off at the forest that would cover their presence better.

The wind howled loudly as the golden field rippled in reaction, resembling waves on the ocean surface greatly. The sun was lazily setting behind the horizon and painted the sky an array of colours; ranging from orange to pink to the yellow glow from the retreating ball of light. Clouds were rolling across the painted sky slowly, and crows cawed as they pecked and prodded at a decaying corpse as Lee passed, flying off towards the trees and back to their nests. The stench from the corpse was over-powering and made the trio turn their heads away in disgust. As the light began to die out, the three finally made it to the borderline of the forest, all of them glancing at each other before entering.

Trees loomed over them as they pushed their way through the vegetation, Lee in front crushing the plants to make the path slightly easier to walk on for Christa and Omid. The outstretching branches blocked most of what little light they had left, and soon it was almost impossible for the trio to see more than a couple of feet in front of them. This was when Lee stopped walking and slung his bag off his shoulder. "We'll stop for the night."

A sigh of relief came from the couple as Christa too dropped her bag on the ground; opening the latches and taking out a thin blanket she found. Omid copied her movements and the two sat down as Lee began the task of making a camp-fire. Gathering up twigs and logs that seemed suitable as well as plant leaves, he made the basis of the fire out of them before shredding the dry leaves up and placing them on the bottom. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his lighter and flipped it open, striking it to ignite the flame and placed the lighter near the dry leaves; watching as they caught fire and immediately went up in flames, smoke curling off into the darkened sky as the fire came to life.

The light reflected off his face as he sat down near it, clouded eyes watching the flames licking the chilled air, dancing in a way that enticed Lee into allowing his mind to drift away. He thought back to Macon; the days where he would wake up and be greeted by his brother's grin, or by his mum making him breakfast or his dad yelling at him because he slept in again and missed the bus. A smile perked the corners of his lips as he continued to dream, before the reminder of his family's demise brought it all crashing down again. His heart sank down even further than before as he recalled Lilly telling him about dragging his parents' corpses out and leaving them in the alley to rot, and how the bed roll in the office was stained so much with their _blood._

He remembered how low he felt staring at his brother's reanimated corpse. He pushed it all back however, because Clementine needed him to be strong for her, for everyone in the group. Look where they all where. Dead. Rotting. He's lost everyone, all because he wasn't strong enough to protect them; just like he wasn't strong enough to protect his family.

"Lee?" Christa's voice brought him out of his thoughts, as he lifted his head up to meet the woman's worried gaze. In her hands he noticed some of the rations they scavenged and immediately figured out what she was going to say next. "I'm fine, Christa. I don't need nothing."

"You haven't eaten for days." She bluntly replied, glaring slightly as she handed out the food. "You can't keep going on like this. Clementine would-"

"Don't mention her!" he snapped, losing his nerve as he clenched his hands into fists. "You didn't know her! Neither of you guys did! She was supposed to be my responsibility and... and...!"

His words died in his throat as he unclenched his hands, crossing his arms in an attempt to both battle the cold and calm himself down. The next sentence he uttered was so quiet that the couple had difficulty hearing it. "I let her down..."

Stunned by the outrage from their companion, especially considering he was so level-headed when they first met, both Omid and Christa glanced at each other before the pregnant woman stood up and moved over to where Lee was sitting, kneeling down by his side. "You can't keep beating yourself over it, Lee. Bad things happen but we did what we could for Clementine, it just wasn't enough. We gotta move on."

"You say that like it's so easy," he whispered harshly, his eyes narrowing in anger as he stood up suddenly. "You have your family! Your boyfriend and the baby on the way, and what do I have?! Nothing! No one that makes every day easier to bear!"

With the last sentence spat out like poison, he just turned around and walked off, not listening as Christa called out for him. "Lee! You can't just walk away from us! LEE!"

He didn't care anymore. He just wanted one second away from all the pity and question and how he was supposed to just "move on". How could he? It was easy enough for Christa and Omid to say that, they have their family, they have something to live for. Lee didn't, and that was what weighed so heavily in the back of his mind, what made it so hard for him to keep going every single day when there was nothing for him. He stumbled over a root jutting out of the ground and collapsed onto his knees, glancing around quickly to gather where exactly he ran off it, though the darkness made it almost impossible for him to see. Walking away was a bad idea as he thought about it; he was just caught up in his emotions that he couldn't think clearly.

The cold was chilling him to the bones. The wind scratching at his face as he shivered, standing up and wrapping his arms around himself to try to keep warm. He obviously didn't get far from the camp as he noticed, as the faint glow of the camp fire in the midst of darkness could still be seen from his position. The silence of the forest made the hairs on the back of his neck, his heart beating as he listened in for any sounds that would signal danger. There was nothing however, but that didn't calm his raging heart down, and so he pushed through the darkness towards the light again. Feet crunching against the dry autumn floor echoed in the crisp air, and yet the sound of talking could be heard by Lee as he approached the camp once more.

One of the voices he didn't recognize.

He grabbed the pistol out of the band of his pants and held it close; feeling an odd sense of security with the weapon in his hand that made him feel sick to the stomach. The world's clearly gone to hell if holding a gun made someone so comfortable and safe. The small treeless patch that they set camp in opened amongst the trees; Christa and Omid sitting on the floor comfortably with someone facing them; their back to Lee and blocking any noticeable distinguishes. Omid seemed to be comfortable with talking to the person whereas Christa had a cold glare on her face, though she wasn't exactly trusting of strangers; Lee knew that only too well.

Aiming his gun at the possible threat, the black man moved out of his hiding and into the opening, the light from the fire highlighting the murderous intent written on his face. Christa turned her gaze from the stranger to Lee, not moving or saying anything as Omid noticed and followed her stares; speaking up quickly when he realized what was happening. "Lee, put the gun down!"

The stranger quickly spun on their feet and that was when Lee could see their features clearly. The stranger was in fact a tall woman with tanned skin, the upper part of her face covered in a hood from her navy hoodie; which was caked in dirt and blood no undoubtedly from her recent encounters. Hands suddenly shot up in defence as she stood there; her face portraying fear as she slowly spoke. "I'm not going to hurt you, señor."

Her voice was quiet, laced with an accent that Lee knew wasn't from around there, and yet the scared demeanour didn't assure him enough to put his weapon down. She noticed this and backed off slightly, not wishing to do anything that would startle him and cause her to be shot.

" _Lee._ " Christa snapped, her voice a sharp cut that made Lee turn his head to her. "She's not gonna do any harm. We already made her give up her weapons."

"How do you know she's not hiding any more?" he asked, still suspicious about the new arrival. The woman took this opportunity to speak for herself as she stuttered. "I-I just came across your amigos. I mean no harm."

"She's telling the truth." Omid added in, staring at Lee as he lowered his weapon slightly, the black man frowning. "If you're lying, I won't hesitate to put a bullet in you. Understand?"

Relief washed over the woman's face as she nodded enthusiastically. "Si, si. I understand."

With the tension slowly fading away, Lee completely lowered his weapon and placed it back into the band of his pants, before sitting back down near his bag. Christa and Omid both looked relieved that Lee had come back but the pregnant woman also annoyed by his storming off, especially into the dark forest where anything could have happened to him or them. They were lucky the stranger who came across their camp was friendly enough, or Lee could have came back to the couple dead on the ground and their supplies stolen.

The woman just sat between the couple and Lee, warming her gloved hands against the warmth of the fire. The silence hanging over them all wasn't thick and awkward as it was before, instead it was calm as they all just relaxed after the gruelling task of surviving that day. Omid glanced over at the unnamed woman and then back to the fire when she met his glance, waiting a few seconds before deciding to speak up. "So... now you're here... you could tell us your name."

"Ah, my name..." she trailed off, seeming uncomfortable with someone asking her that question. "It's Sofia."

"Well, I'm Omid and this is Christa." He introduced, gesturing to his girlfriend as she just nodded to her in response. "And the guy you met is Lee."

Not reacting to the introduction, Lee just sat there and stared at the fire once more, Omid just awkwardly smiling as Sofia stared at the silent man. The crack of a twig in the background made her jump, even more than what would have made the others and started raising suspicions in Christa. "Why are you so jumpy?"

Sofia seemed nervous about telling her the reasons, but she explained anyway. "These forests are not safe, señora. You three should be careful from here on out."

"What do you mean 'not safe'." Omid joined in. "Walkers?"

"I wish, Omid." She sighed, her voice turning into a whisper as she leaned further forward. "These forests are full of bandits, ready to rob you of all your supplies and kill you... or..."

She trailed off, her face trying so hard to mask the pain that she must have experienced. Lee became interested in this conversation, and his gaze upon her only made Sofia shrink further in on herself. Omid took a sympathetic look however, and managed to coax her out of her shell as he pushed. "What? What do they do, Sofia?"

"They..." Her voice cracked as she sniffed, lowering her head as she continued. "They force themselves on the women they find. Everyone I was with... they're gone. I was the only girl and they took me."

She huddled in on herself, trying to make herself as small as possible as Christa stiffened and Omid listened with horror on his face. Listening to the poor girl's story, Lee tightened his hands and asked in a raspy voice. "How old are you?"

Sofia looked over at him with red eyes. "I'm eighteen. I was just coming out of high school when all this started."

"Where's your family?" Christa asked, staring at the girl with much less hardness in her gaze.

"My brother found me before my parents did, and we went looking for them but... we didn't make it in time." She stared at the fire burning as she continued her tale. "We met up with a group down in Brunswick, and we started just holing up there before heading north for safety."

"Why north?" Christa questioned, shivering as another rogue wind blew through. "It'll just get colder. Why risk freezing to death?"

"You people do not know?" she asked, honestly surprised by the question. "The cold makes the walkers unable to move. We had a man who we met a couple of weeks ago who came from up north, and he was the one who saw what the cold did to them."

"So the cold makes the walkers slow?" Omid continued the questioning, the tone of his voice suggesting to Lee that he was getting the idea of heading north themselves. Sofia nodded as a response and then sighed sadly. "We set up camp in these forests only a week ago, before those monsters ambushed us and killed all the men. Only me and this other woman, Jess I think her name was, survived but... she took her own life before they could do anything to her. I was the only survivor..."

Hugging herself to try and get some closure, tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she bit her lip; trying her best not to cry in front of complete strangers she just met. Unable to figure out how to comfort her, Omid just sat there and calmly reassured. "It's alright. You're safe now... We won't let anything happen to you."

"Omid..." Christa warned, staring at him with a look that was mean to deter him from talking anymore, but failed in doing so as her boyfriend just frowned and continued. "It'll be safer if she's with us. She won't survive on her own out there, not with those bandits lurking around."

"I can be helpful," Sofia added in, desperate for the safety of a group. "I know these forests well. I can lead us out of here and up north without getting caught by those bastards."

Lee mulled over the conversation as the two continued to convince Christa to approve. He didn't really care about whether the girl can join or not, and yet he still felt that he couldn't leave her alone with the bandits after what she told them. They killed her brother and friends before raping her, the mental scarring still evident in the teenager. His thoughts were disturbed however, as Christa sighed and muttered. "Heading north does seem the best plan. If it gives us the chance of dodging lurkers then... alright."

A huge weight seemed to have been lifted off Sofia as she smiled, what was visible of her hidden face beaming in the light of the camp fire. With the plan set on where they were going, Lee rubbed his eyes slowly as exhaustion slowly took over him. Christa and Omid seemed tired also as they retired for the night, bidding good night to both Lee and Sofia before falling asleep; leaving the two alone.

Grabbing his bag, Lee opened it and took out Clementine's hat; having been left in there due to his fear that he would lose it, and stared down at it in his hands. The roar of the fire was background noise in his ears as he lost himself once more in his thoughts; thinking back to all the times he and Clementine had fun together, and one occasion stuck out the most to him. The time at the St. John dairy, where he was pushing Clementine on the swing after Kenny convinced Duck to let her have a turn.

 _Do you think things will ever go back to the way they were?_

The question burned in his mind as he continued to take in every detail of the hat in front of him.

"I don't know, Sweet Pea..." he muttered, lowering the hat as he gazed of into the distance. "Everything's so fucked up now..."

"That hat," he heard Sofia whisper. "It belonged to someone close, si?"

Stiffening up, he didn't look at the teenager as he mumbled. "Yeah."

"What happened to her?" the question made Lee grit his teeth as anger bubbled in his stomach, his eyes cold as he finally met her gaze and snapped. "I got her killed. So drop it, yeah?"

Eyes widened in shock as she just nodded in response, before lying down with her back to the group, not uttering another word to the grieving man. Watching as everyone around him fell asleep, Lee returned his stares back to the hat before placing it back into his bag. "Goodnight, Sweet Pea..."

He laid down on the cold ground, staring up at the star-filled sky as he slowly started drifting off to sleep, hoping that he wouldn't have nightmares that night.


	3. Rose Tinted Glasses

The last five days had been grueling on Lee and the others; especially on Sofia as she continued to cradle her bandaged shoulder with her free hand, her pistol being held softly in her other one. Her warning of the bandits that ruled over the forest didn't go unheeded by the group, as they treaded carefully through the dense trees for these past few days, but that didn't stop them getting ambushed by a stray group that so happened to stumble across them. They barely made it out alive, and even so Sofia wasn't as lucky as she suffered a gunshot to her shoulder. Christa bandaged it as best she could, but the injured woman needed to be careful to avoid further injuring herself.

Lee was at front leading the group, staring blankly at the trees as he sighed to himself. He was getting pretty sick of looking at nothing but stupid trees all the time. He wouldn't admit it to Omid or, heaven forbid, Christa but he missed the city. He missed the feeling of tall buildings surrounding them and the feeling of tarmac under his feet instead of dirt hardened by the cold weather. He missed Macon, and the long summers he had with his family. Longing churned in his heart before he scolded himself, this wasn't the time to get sentimental. Not with things the way they are.

"I need to stop," Sofia groaned, holding her shoulder with a look of agony as she gasped. "I'm sorry. I don't want to slow us down."

"It's alright," Omid smiled. "If you want, I can give you... a shoulder to cry on."

His joke was accepted very bitterly by all of his comrades, who just glared at him in united silence. His smirk fell slightly as he coughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he muttered. "Wow, tough crowd..."

Shaking his head, Lee leaned against a particually thick tree as Sofia and Christa both made themselves comfy on the ground. Omid just stood there, watching Christa with a smile on his face, glancing down at the growing bump of her stomach as he spoke up. "Now we're taking a break, I was thinking we could carry on our conversation from last night."

"You're insane, Omid." Christa joked, smirking as she continued. "We're not doing that."

"Why not?" He asked, pretending to be offended.

"Because!" She replied, laughing as she shook her head at the thought of it. Omid's smirk just grew in size as he shrugged. "Come on, Christa. What's wrong with Omid?"

"We're not naming our baby Omid," she sighed. "One of you is enough."

"She got you there." Lee joined in on the assault. Omid raised his shoulder and smirked as he held out his hands in a comical fashion. "What can I say? I'm a character."

Everyone let out a chuckle. Lee enjoyed these moments of the day, where everyone is relaxed and enjoying themselves. It almost took his mind off everything. Omid paused for a moment, his face showing him deep in thought, before he suddenly snapped his finger. "Omid The Second."

"No!" Christa laughed, smiling as her boyfriend continued to come up with different ways of naming their unborn baby Omid. "Omid Jr!"

"Nope." She once again rejected.

"You gotta admit," he grinned, crossing his arms. "It's got a ring to it."

"Yeah, the ring of an egotistical maniac." Everyone chuckled at the statement, all but Omid, who pretended to be offended by the mention of his ego. Christa sighed, placing one of her hands on her swollen stomach as she smirked. "You're not taking this seriously."

"I take everything seriously!" He gasped, smirking as he pointed a finger at his child. "Especially little Omid's future."

"I'll make you sleep in the rain tonight if you continue." Christa warned, her tone of voice taking a playful turn. Lee raised his eyebrow in amusement, turning his head to Omid as he warned jokingly. "I'd be careful, man. She sounds deadly serious."

"Ooo, I'm so afraid." Omid gasped, holding his face with false horror. "I'm gonna be so alone tonight. Christa, how could you hurt me with your harsh, harsh words?"

"You're so annoying." Hands grabbed the joker's jacket as he was pulled down to the floor, before arms snaked their way around him as Christa held him in a tight hug. "But I wouldn't want it any other way..."

"I'd hate to break up this lovely scene," Lee interrupted from his spot against the tree. "But we gotta keep moving if we want outta the forest by nightfall."

"He's right." Sofia agreed, groaning softly to herself when she stood back up. "I can't slow us down any longer. Let's keep moving."

The couple nodded to that, and Omid helped himself up first before helping Christa up. With everyone ready to keep moving, they all continued walking down the path through the forest. The sun rolled across the sky lazily, reaching the point where dusk would soon set in when the group reached the outskirts of the forest; a gas station in the distance as the four moved out of the cover from the trees. Their movements were slow, cautious, similar to deers moving whilst foraging; careful and watchful of any predators.

Lee held his rifle close to his body, finger near the trigger in case he had to defend himself or his group. He pushed down the growing fear in his stomach as they neared the gas station. It looked abandoned; but they could never be too careful with these places. The windows were boarded up haphazardly, broken glass littering across the asphalt, and the door barely hung on its hinges. This placed looked like something went down not too long ago, and it didn't end well. A few bodies were laying on the ground as the group passed them, dried blood staining the ground to show where they were injured or even killed. The inside of the gas station was in no better condition. The rest of the people in the unfortunate fight were laying on the floor in there, one of them sprawled over the counter with a frozen look of terror in his eyes. None of them came back as walkers, but that didn't stop Lee from checking them to see if all of them had been shot or wounded in the head. However did this knew to do it right.

"I don't know why this is so sad," he could hear Sofia lament. "I've seen this thing happen so much. I don't know why these people in particular make me feel this way."

"We should look this place over for any supplies." Christa instructed. The rest nodded and set to work scrounging up anything they could find. Lee placed his rifle against the counter as he searched behind it, finding a few bottles of water and canned food, placing them on top of the counter after moving the dead guy off it; watching as the corpse flopped onto the floor similar to a dead fish. "We got some water here."

"That's good, we were running low as it is." Christa smiled, grabbing the supplies and placing them into her backpack. Leaving it leaned against the counter in case they found anything else, she resumed searching through the shelves for anything that could have been left behind. Sofia appeared behind Lee as she spoke up. "Look what I found."

Turning around, he was greeted with the sight of a fire axe and a first aid kit in the hooded woman's hands. Taking them silently, he placed the first aid kit in the open backpack, keeping the axe for himself as Omid explained. "We can use that to treat your shoulder better."

"There's no need, really." She rejected the offer. "My shoulder is feeling a lot better than it did. Besides we might need it if one of us gets seriously injured."

Omid opened his mouth to further press the issue regarding her shoulder, but Lee's stare caused him to shut up. Sofia made a point. What if they needed the first aid kit for later? And if her shoulder is no longer hurting and has been treated, then what was the point wasting the kit?

"I'll just check under here for anything else." He explained, kneeling down to look under the counter for any spare supplies that he might have missed. That was when he noticed something glimmering in the shadows, reaching his hand out to grab the thing and retracted it to show a pair of red glasses. One of the lenses were broken, the frame seeming a bit girlish to Lee as he pulled himself off the floor. Sofia noticed the glasses and spoke up. "Glasses? Who would they even belong to?"

"My guess," Lee started, shifting his gaze to the hooded woman as he put them on the counter. "A young girl."

Christa retracted her arm from the shelves and sighed, turning to the others as she shook her head. "These shelves have been picked clean. Whoever killed these people took what little they had too, though how they missed these things is beyond me."

"There's some spare ammo on these corpses," Omid piped up, standing up from his position in front of a corpse with said ammo in his hand. "We should check the ones outside too, just to make sure."

"I'll do it," Lee offered up, making his way to the door. "Sofia can come with me and you two stay here, where it's safer."

"Just be careful," Christa warned, her voice sounding worried for Lee's safety. "We don't know if those guys are really gone."

He just nodded to her before walking outside, Sofia by his side whilst they walk over to the other corpses. Sofia moved away from Lee, kneeling in front of a corpse and began the task of routing through pockets and anything else that could contain something useful. Lee placed his axe down beside him, before staring down at the corpse in front of him; noting the blood pooling from underneath them that formed a dried up puddle nearby. Reaching for the pockets of the corpse's jacket, he heard a noise that was quiet to begin with; but quickly turned to a vicious snarl as the corpse in front of him sprung to life, decaying hands grabbing onto his jacket sleeve and pulling his arm towards its disgusting mouth.

Struggling with the walker for dear life, Lee watched helplessly as Sofia noticed his struggle and rushed to his rescue. Her hand grabbed hold of the axe that he set down and brought it above her head; letting out a yell as she slammed it into the walker's skull. Blood splattered out and stained Lee's jacket and shirt with its dull coloured blood. The two remained where they were in silence; save for their heavy breathing. Composing himself after the scare, he began searching through the pockets as he mumbled. "Go back to searching. We need all the stuff we can find."

"Erm, alright." She replied, clearly shocked at how quickly Lee could go back to his normal self after nearly being bitten. None the less, she complied with his order and returned to the corpses she was raiding from. Removing his hand from one of the jean's pockets, he opened it to reveal some ammo glittering in the sun; pocketing the supplies before finishing searching it entirely.

He stood back up and heard Sofia's steps behind him. "Not much on them. They've obviously been picked clean by whoever did this."

"I don't like this," he revealed. "It's too quiet. We need to just grab our things and leave before-"

"Lee!" The two jumped when they heard Christa by the door, Lee's rifle in her hands as she looked down the scope. "There's someone coming!"

Body tense and ready for action, Lee took his axe from Sofia as she grabbed her gun from her back pocket; both of them turning to the forest and ready to attack whoever was coming towards them. It was only then did Lee actually see a figure making their way right for them. It looked too small to be an adult man or even a woman; and the way they were running suggested that they were running from someone, or something. Sofia aimed her gun as she yelled. "Don't come any closer!"

The figure obviously ignored her. They kept running towards them until Lee could that the person was clearly a young girl, no older than fifteen, and the look on her face made his stomach drop. Tears were pouring from her terrified eyes, her breathing so abnormal that only a panic attack could explain her breathing pattern, and her constant looking back making Lee think that she isn't running to something; she's running from something. She eventually reached them before stumbling over her feet, sending herself tumbling to the ground, and yet she still tried to get away from whatever she was running away from.

Lee ran to her side and tried to help her up. "Hey! Hey, it's okay! You're alright now!"

His touch only seemed to send the girl into a further state of panic, her wriggling out of his grip as she pushed herself away. "No! Don't touch me! Leave me ALONE!"

"Shhh, it's alright." He calmed down, his voice adopting a softer tone that he hadn't used in a long time. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Something about his calming demeanour had an effect on the girl, her breathing calming down slightly but still too fast for Lee's liking. Tears still streamed down her face as she gasped. "I-I just want my dad... Daddy! Daddy, where are you?!"

Her calling out startled both of the adults, Lee sharing a worrying look with Sofia before trying to calm the girl down to stop the shouting. "It's alright. Where's your dad? Do you know where he is?"

"No, no..." She sniffed, rubbing one of her eyes. "I was with him here a-and then some bad men came and we all ran into the forest. He t-told me to keep running, and I did. I ran a-as fast as I could and I turned around and he was gone!"

"What happened next?" Lee questioned, still adopting his calm tone. "Can you remember?"

"T-The last thing I remember..." The girl trailed off, her face showing great effort in trying to remember. "I got pushed down by something, and there was this figure over me. He grabbed my jacket and tried to do something. I-I got scared and kicked him before managing to get free, but he still had my jacket."

What the girl was describing deeply disturbed both Lee and Sofia; the latter turning her back to them and wrapped her arms around her, seeking comfort from what this little action offered. Lee turned his head when he noticed his friend do this. "Sofia, you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah." She whispered, turning back around. Lee could see the emotional agony that the woman was going through, but he didn't question it when she sent him a look that pleaded him not to. Instead, he helped the terrified teenager up before looking over at Christa; who was still standing by the door with Omid then by her side. The two adults guided the girl inside the store, Lee grabbing a bottle of water from the open backpack and handing it to her as he sat next to her; Sofia sitting down on her other side.

"Do you wanna tell us your name?" Sofia asked, acting more like a friend to the young girl than a stranger she just met. This was a completely different introduction than the one between her and Lee; thought he could understand about the different situations. The young girl lifted her knees up and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm Sarah."

"Hola, Sarah." Sofia smiled, gesturing to herself. "I'm Sofia, and this here's Lee."

Her hand stretched out and pointed to Lee, who only smiled at Sarah before allowing the woman to continue the introductions. She then moved her hand and gestured to Christa and Omid. "And this is Christa and Omid."

"Heya." The Persian greeted, waving at the teenager. Sarah smiled at them all before returning her gaze to the floor. Sofia sent Lee a look that he didn't quite understand, the look seeming so out of place on her face. She returned her gaze to the obviously traumatized girl and spoke up. "Sarah. This man who shoved you to the ground... did you get a good look at him?"

"I can't remember what he looked like," she admitted, sounding ashamed in herself for forgetting an important clue. "I just wanted to get away and find my dad."

"Well, you said he was trying to take off your jacket."

"Sofia." Lee warned, glaring at her as she glanced up at him. She returned her gaze at Sarah and decided to change the topic. "We'll help you find your father."

"Really?" Her face lit up at the thought of being reunited with her only family left. The rest of the group glanced at each other, Lee finding himself stuck between two points of his subconscious. He wanted the girl to be reunited with her father, at least that's something he could do right with her that he did wrong with Clementine, but at the same time they would have to go back into the forest and danger just to chase after a small chance that Sarah's father was alive. His moral dilemma was interrupted when he heard Sarah enthusiastically spoke. "I have a picture of him, so you guys can find him easier!"

He turned his attention back to the teenage girl as she pulled out a picture from her pocket; the image on it clearly visible to him. The girl on the side was clearly her, albeit with red glasses on her face, and the man beside her had a dark skin tone that matched her own; along with long, black hair and facial hair. He was also wearing a flannel shirt. Remembering the glasses on the counter, Lee stood up and walked over to the blood stained counter, grabbing the glasses from it. He turned around, spotting Sarah's face beam when he held out the found item. "I think these are yours?"

"Yes!" She nodded, hurrying over to him and taking the missed glasses, placing them on her face as she smiled up at him. "Thank you."

This reminded him too much of back at the St John's, when he returned Clementine's stolen hat like he promised. Eyes looked away momentarily in despair, something that Sarah noticed but was too afraid to speak up about. Sofia too stood up and glanced outside, noticing that the sun was setting further with every passing minute. "We're losing daylight fast. If we have any chance of finding Sarah's dad alive, we gotta start looking now."

"You kidding?" Christa objected. "It's gonna get dark real fast. It ain't safe out there for us."

"This gas station isn't exactly haven either." Lee injected. "We either risk the bastards that killed these people coming back here or we risk running into them in the forest where we have at least cover. Either way, there's not much for us."

"I can't risk Christa like this." Omid sighed, sadly looking at Sarah. "I'm sorry, Sarah. But I can't risk my girlfriend and my child like this."

"My dad is out there," she begged. "If we wait until dawn, it might be too..."

The tears came back at the thought of never seeing her father again. Whilst she wept, Lee looked over at Omid and Christa; the pregnant woman staring back at him before sighing. "If it helps Sarah get her dad back then... I'm willing to risk it."

"Alright then, it's settled." Lee announced, looking at everyone before continuing. "Let's go."

They left the abandoned station as the sun shone just above the horizon; Lee keeping an eye on the amount of light that they had left. They had about half an hour of light left, maybe an hour at best. They would have to be fast to find Sarah's dad. "Sarah, what's your dad's name?"

"Carlos." Lee nodded at the answer, and looked around at his surroundings as he added. "Know how long you guys ran for before you lost him?"

"Erm..." She paused for a moment, trying to think back. "About fifteen minutes I think. My dad can't run that far, he was still had sore ribs."

"Sore ribs?" This piqued Lee's interest. "He got in a fight."

"One of the bad guys attacked him," Sarah's voice fell quiet. "He got pretty badly beaten before Nick got him off."

"Who's this Nick?" Christa asked, her voice showing signs of distrust.

Sarah was tensing her body as she was interrogated by the others. "He w-was in my group! We got separated from him and Luke!"

Lee turned his head and shot Christa a look that silenced her; the pregnant woman glaring at him for a moment before she carried on walking. The silence fell upon them all as they continued walking, the forest growing darker and darker as the light from the sun disappeared more behind the horizon. After fifteen minutes or so, they reached an opening surrounded by the looming trees and foliage. A fallen log that was once a great tree rested over to the side a little, and the blood on the ground made Lee freeze. It wasn't that old. Beside the pool of blood was a torn piece of fabric that looked like it was from a flannel shirt.

Oh shit.

"Dad!" Sarah called out, running around frantically as she desperately called out once more. "DAD!"

"We'll find him, Sarah." Sofia calmed down, walking to her side as the two of them began to search. Christa and Omid helped each other in the search as Lee walked off on his own, looking around and seeing no other clues that hinted to Carlos being there. He once again found himself looking at the pool of blood, the torn piece of fabric, and turned his head over to the fallen log. If Carlos was running here and got shot, he would have stumbled that way. His stomach churned in fear as he stalked over to the log, careful to not be noticed by the rest of the group searching for Sarah's dad.

His suspicions were right. Laying there in a pool of his own blood; a walker resembling Carlos was weakly groaning at him, attempting to grab Lee fruitlessly with his decaying hands. Lee stared at the pitiful sight with sympathy in his eyes, kneeling down with his axe in hand as he muttered a few words of apology to him. "I'm sorry it had to end like this, man. I know you would've done anything to protect your daughter, so I'm gonna do it now. I won't let her die like... like Clementine."

With those words said, Lee lifted his axe and brought it down on Carlos' head; slicing through the flesh and skull with a squelch and a slightly blood splatter. The others noticed as Sofia called out. "Lee? What's going on?"

"Nothing," he lied. "There's nothing here. We gotta go now."

Sarah seemed distraught at this, and moved forward to see what Lee had just killed, but the look he gave her made her stop. She was confused about this, but the look on Lee's face made her comply with his order as she sadly looked at the ground. Lee fought the urge to look down at Carlos' corpse, instead moving over the fallen log. "I'm sure he's still out there, but it's too dangerous out here when it's dark."

"Lee's right, Sarah." Sofia joined in, moving closer to Sarah. "We can start again in the morn-"

The back of her head exploded into a mess of brain matter and blood, staining Sarah's shirt and face as she screamed in horror; Lee and the other frozen in shock over what just happened. Sofia just stood there for a moment, before she fell to the floor with a look of confusion written over her lifeless face. The surviving group members couldn't move as two men ran out of the cover of the trees, one of them having a rifle in his hand as he yelled.

"Get the fuck away from her!"


	4. The Cabin

Everything was happening way too fast for Lee to even comprehend what was going on. Sarah was sobbing as she kneeled down beside Sofia's corpse, hands shaking the still warm body as she begged the woman to get up again, tears streaming down her blood-stained face. Christa was too busy having a shouting match with the man in a red baseball cap, a blue shirt draped over his elongated torso with a pair of dark jeans to complete his outfit. His chin was lightly covered in facial hair; giving the killer a young appearance, definitely younger than Lee anyhow. The rifle in his hands was still smoking, and it made Lee sick to his stomach as he vividly recalled the explosion of brain matter from the back of Sofia's head. He shot her. He killed the poor young woman.

"How could you?!" Christa screamed at him. "She was just standing there and you shot her!"

The man glared at her, his voice taking a defensive tone as he yelled. "She was walking towards Sarah! I was just protecting her from you guys, considering me and Luke don't even know you!"

"We were helping Sarah find her dad!" Christa snapped, growing more furious. "You had no right to shoot our friend!"

"Come on," the other man, wearing an orange shirt with a machete strapped to his back, tried to reason. "We did something stupid, and we're sorry for that, but Nick was honestly doing what he thought was best for-"

"Is this what was best!?" She interrupted, pointing angrily at the bleeding corpse that was once their companion. Luke was shocked by the outburst, not even looking at the murdered Sofia as he frowned. "Woah now. Okay, everyone is pissed off what's happened but it was all just a mistake!"

"You killed her." Lee growled, finally pushing his mind to focus on one point. "You fucking killed her and then say it was just a mistake?! Is that meant to make everything alright!?"

"I'm sorry!" Nick apologized, though his voice suggested that he was more angry that guilty. Christa just crossed her arms and glared at him with intense hatred. "Well, that's make everything alright then! Sofia will appreciate your apology."

"This isn't helping anyone." Omid interjected. "We're a person down, it's getting dark and that shot would have alerted every bandit and lurker for miles."

"What do you want us to do, Omid?" Christa snapped. "It's their fault this happened!"

Lee nodded in agreement, before the sound of crying brought his attention to the fact that Sarah hadn't moved from Sofia's corpse during their arguments. He saw that Luke also noticed this, and moved to her side before he could even take a step away from Nick. Kneeling down to her eye level, he placed a hand on the teenage girl, frowning as she stiffened under his touch. "Sarah?"

"She's dead." Her voice was a harsh whisper that he could barely make out. "Nick shot her, didn't he?"

"Sarah..." Nick called out, his voice betraying the guilt that was building up within him. "Sarah, I didn't mean to."

"Why, Nick?" She questioned, turning her head to him. "She was my friend. She was helping us."

"I-I panicked." He tried to justify. "After we got separated, we've been trying to find you and Carlos."

The mention of Carlos made Lee shift his gaze over to the overturned log; the memory of Carlos reaching out to him as a walker still fresh in his mind. Before anyone noticed his change in expression, he pushed his feelings down as far as he could manage and instead allowed the anger over Sofia to bubble up. "You think this is protecting her? Scaring her half to death by shooting someone who she thought was her friend?!"

"You know what? Fuck this." Nick just spat, throwing his arms up in defeat. "Sarah, come on. We're leaving."  
"She ain't going anywhere with you guys." Lee revealed, challenging Nick to a glaring match as they both locked eyes. Luke, who was trying to keep the peace this whole time, changed in body expression completely as he leaned forward; his eyes changing dark quickly. "She's not leaving us!"

"Lee." Christa snapped. "She's not our responsibility. She's theirs, and we can't keep her away from them if she doesn't want to."

"I don't want to leave Lee." Sarah spoke up. "What?" Luke replied, obviously surprised and annoyed by this outburst. "You heard her," Lee growled, his grip on her shoulder tightening slightly. "She ain't leaving us."

"Okay, look." Luke offered, trying to adopt a calmer persona to ease the tension. "It's too dangerous out here for you guys, especially considering your situation."

He gestured to Christa's swollen stomach much to the couple's offense. "We found a cabin. It's warm, dry and most importantly safe. Now me and Nick, we can't protect Sarah by ourselves out here with all this shit. So how about we work together, Sarah gets to stay with you and us, and we have a few extra hands to help. It'll be safe when the baby comes."

Lee pulled a disgusted expression at such an offer; but when he glanced at Sarah's face, it almost pleading with him to stay, he couldn't help himself when he spoke the words. "Fine."

"Lee, you can't be serious?!" Christa objected. "I'd rather take my chances out here than with a couple of murderers!"

"Like, you guys never killed someone." Nick muttered, earning a glare from the pregnant woman. Lee stood up again, helping Sarah up with him before wiping the blood off her wet face with his sleeve. She didn't protest the caring action, and instead she sniffed as she tried to stop her crying. Wiping the blood only seemed to smear it more, causing Lee to just give up and straighten himself as Luke explained. "We better leave now. It's gonna be night soon."

"Let us at least bury her," he pleaded. "I can't leave Sofia like this. She's worth more than that."

Luke seemed annoyed at the suggestion before he just nodded. "Of course, but let's hurry with it."

With the help of Nick, Luke and Omid; Lee managed to have a shallow grave dug up as the darkness crept over the forest, the last of the sun's light falling behind the horizon and purging everything in shadows. The light of Christa's flashlight served as the only way to see as Omid and Lee carried Sofia's freezing body to her early grave. They dropped her into the hole in the ground, before quickly covering her back up with the shifted earth. Lee's eyes looked over at Sarah just standing with Christa; the teenager's face showing nothing but grief as she tried to control her crying once more. Christa herself seemed upset by this poor excuse of a funeral, but she was able to compose herself as soon as Sofia's body was out of sight.

Both Omid and Lee took a step back and just stared at the grave in front of them, sharing a look of grief between them, whereas Luke moved back to Sarah and Christa's side. Nick himself kept staring at the grave, his eyes hidden by the shadows of his hat and the darkness of night. Eventually, the three remaining men moved away from the grave and over to the others, making their way to the cabin located further in the woods.

The cold quickly set in as Lee shivered, his teeth chattering together and goosebumps appearing all over his skin. This leather jacket was not good at keeping the cold out, but he guessed it was better than not having it at all. He could see Sarah shivering even worse despite the dark, and couldn't help but remember his last group back at the Motor Inn; how winter was coming soon and they were all freezing and cold. That was why he stole the hoodie for Clementine, he couldn't have left her to freeze when he found something that could have helped.

While he was thinking about this, he didn't even stop himself when he took off his jacket and tapped Sarah on the shoulder, handing out the piece of clothing out for her. "Here. You look freezing."

"What about you?" She asked, holding back another shiver. "You'll just get cold instead."

"Better me than you." He smiled, still holding it out. She just stared at the jacket for a moment, before smaller hands reached out to grab it and put it around her; a look of gratitude on her face as she kept walking. Christa smiled at Lee in response to his generous action. It was refreshing for Lee to be happy rather than his usual glum self. The cabin could be seen amongst the trees. The sight reminded Lee of the horror movies his students used to watch, and somehow managed to rope him into them when they came to lesson the next day with dark circles under their eyes and jumping every time he appears to give them assignments. He never minded horror movies much, they were all the same to him. But something about this cabin seemed off to him. If it got them out of the cold however, he supposed he could put up with the creepy atmosphere. "We're here." Luke pointed out the obvious, making his way up the staircase that led to the porch. The others quickly followed him up and through the door, Lee sighing quietly in content as the howling wind wasn't able to reach him anymore. Christa was already on the couch in exhaustion as she lied across it, her rifle leaning against the back, and Omid sitting down by her feet and smiling. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, although..." She sat herself up, wiggling her feet at her boyfriend. "My feet are sore. Omid, could you rub them for me?"

"Of course! It's the least your most perfect boyfriend could do." He joked, before removing her shoes and messaging the swollen body parts tenderly. Christa sighed in bliss, leaning her head against the arm of the couch and closing her eyes. Nick just lent his rifle against the wall before retreating to the kitchen; Luke watching him with an angry glint in his eyes as he followed after him. Lee was suspicious about the two of them, and even thought about following the two to carry on about the fact that they were staying with the person that killed Sofia for no other reason than she was walking towards Sarah to calm her down.

However, he noticed Sarah had disappeared from sight, glancing around before the sound of footsteps upstairs revealed her location. He glanced up the staircase into the darkness of the upper floor, the only light provided being the light of candles. Quietly, he followed her up the steps, standing there on the landing for a moment to figure out which room she went into. He walked down the hallway to the two opposing doors. He opened the one on the left first, noticing that it was in fact the bathroom and definitely not the place where Sarah went. As he closed the door, the sound of distant thunder echoed as rain suddenly pelted against the roof of the cabin.

He spun around and grabbed the knob of the other door, opening it slowly and peeking inside; spotting a pair of brown eyes staring back at him. She didn't jump at his sudden appearance and instead just returned her gaze to the floor. She was sitting on the bed with her knees up against her chest; his jacket still covering most of her. A look of sympathy washed over his tired features as Lee moved further into the room, closing the door quietly not to startle her, before he sat down on the bed next to the quiet girl. "You alright?"

She didn't reply immediately. Though before he could speak up anymore, she quietly whispered. "Not really."

"You wanna talk about it?" He offered, not really knowing how to comfort the girl if she said yes. Sarah paused for a few seconds, before she sniffed and rubbed on of her eyes behind her glasses; Lee noticing that her face was still caked in blood.

"I just want my dad." She sniffled. "When we find him, he'll be able to help with Christa's baby."

Lee couldn't help but grimace at the thought of Carlos. He felt terrible for keeping the truth away from Sarah, but at the same time he didn't think she could cope with the fact that her dad was simply not coming back ever. His silence seemed to unnerve Sarah greatly, as her voice cracked. "He is coming back, isn't he?"

"Yeah," he lied. "We'll find him, alright?"

"Okay..." Something in Sarah's voice made Lee frown deeply. She obviously trusted Lee, but there was some hint of doubt in both her face and voice. He decided that it would be best if he left her to think for a little while, glancing at the dresser next to her bed and spotting a book just sitting there. A large hand grasped it as he looked over the hardcover. Sarah glanced at it when he offered it to her. "It's not much but... at least you can pass the time with it."

"A book?" She noted, though she sounded more intrigued rather than disappointed with the offer. She took it from Lee and glanced at the cover as well, before placing it on her pillow. "Thanks, Lee."

"Well, I got some things to take care of." He explained, standing up from her bed and moving towards the door. "Just stay up here with your book, okay?"

"Sure thing." With that said, Lee left Sarah alone and made his way to the staircase again, walking slowly down them when he nearly collided with a pissed off Nick; the two nearly stumbling down the stairs before Lee regained his balance. Glaring up at the flustered man, Lee just snapped. "Watch where you're going, asshole."

"Just leave me alone." Nick muttered, pushing past Lee and skipping up the last few steps. The slamming of one of the doors notified him that Nick had retreated into one of the rooms. Groaning in frustration, Lee just threw his hands up in defeat with trying to deal with all this shit and walked down the rest of the stairs quickly. He noticed that Omid and Christa weren't sitting in their places on the couch, and was about to go searching for them when Luke appeared out of nowhere; causing him to jump slightly in fright. "Jesus fucking Christ!"

"Sorry," he apologized. "If you're looking for your friends, I showed them their room down the hall."

"Thanks." Lee grunted. "Now is that all you wanna tell me or are you gonna frighten the shit outta me again?"

"Actually, I'd like a word with you in the kitchen." Luke explained, not waiting for Lee to answer before he moved away and walked through the door. Lee just stood there for a moment, contemplating whether to go to the room Christa and Omid were said to be in, or to follow Luke into the kitchen to have this discussion with Luke. Deciding on the latter just to get it over with, he followed after Luke through the door.

The kitchen was actually a decent size. The middle of the room covered by a large, dinner table that could seat all of the group living there. The room was dimly lit by multiple candles scattered around the room, causing Lee to become uneasy when he noted. "Won't the light attract walkers or... worse?"

"I'll knock the lights after we talk." Luke replied, sitting on one of the chairs as he gestured to the one opposite him. Silently, he took the chair and sat down slowly, watching Luke carefully as he did so. The other man noticed this and smirked. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna shoot you."

"I guess I should be flattered." Lee responded sarcastically. Luke waited for only a few moments, and as soon as Lee was comfortably in the chair, he spoke up again. "About what happened earlier..."

"I thought we would talk about that." Lee just muttered bitterly. "And you listen here. Just because you helped us bury our friend doesn't mean shit about us. You still killed her and you ain't to be trusted."

"I'm sorry about her, man. I really am." Luke apologized, his voice sounding sincere to Lee. "I wish I stopped Nick from pulling the trigger."

Lee just chuckled coldly. "But you didn't. You can sit here and feel sorry for yourself and how you wish you did things differently, but there is nothing you can do."

Luke seemed shocked by Lee's cold tone, but he just nodded instead. "Yeah."

The two fell silent after that little spat. Lee decided to just venture into his own thoughts to get him away from having to talk to Luke, as well as getting away from the clearly awkward silence flooding the room. After the events of the day, he began finding himself retreating further into the past, where he had a loving wife and family and the dead weren't walking around eating each other. He then found himself wondering what would have happened if he met Clementine before this, when her parents were still alive and he had no need to take care of her. Would she have even been the same to him? Would they have still had that bond they had when everything went to shit?

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, pushing down those doubts so he would feel numb again. He didn't like feeling like nothing, but at the same time he hated feeling the intense despair even more. Clementine was gone, and yet he found himself wishing every day that fate had taken him and spared her. Would she have even found Christa and Omid? What about later on? Growing up in this environment would have had a drastic effect on the young girl, especially without Lee there with her.

"Are you alright?" Luke suddenly asked. "You seem troubled."

"Isn't everyone these days?" Lee replied, forming his question more like a statement. His face fell even more as he just leaned on the table with his arms crossed over each other. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it..." That just made Lee glare up. Silence once again took over the conversation, before Luke coughed and rubbed his shoulder. "So... what's your story?"

"Why do you wanna know?" His voice sounded defensive, and caused Luke to retreat slightly before he responded. "I was just curious. Talking about yourself kinda helps with... with coping."

Lee just thought about that for a moment. He didn't want to talk about himself, just because he didn't see the point in it, why talk about the past when there's nothing you can do to bring it back? Yet there was something about Luke that was welcoming, friendly, and a complete contrast to the harsh appearance of Nick. Maybe talking about his past can help Lee look to the future? It seemed far-fetch in his eyes, but at the least it could lift some of the weight he felt on his shoulders constantly.

"I was a teacher in Atlanta before... this started." He began. "I was in a police car, and then we hit one something on the road. Looking back, I think it was a walker. We crashed, and then that's when..."

The pain in his chest made him stop, leaving the sentence hanging in the air as he thought back to that day with sorrow masking his face. Luke waited a moment, and then shook his head. "You know what? It's okay. You... don't have to continue if you don't want to."

"I met Clementine." Lee carried on, feeling his heart seize up at the mere mention of her name. "She was waiting for her parents to come home. They were in Savannah on vacation. I promised to look after her until we found them, and along the way I met my group. We all tried making it in this motel, before we made our way to Savannah. Along the way... they died. One by one."

The faces of his previous group flashed in front of his eyes. How they died, how the group fell apart before he could even blink, and the immense guilt for failing them. Luke frowned sadly, before staring down at the table. "Wow... well, I'm sorry to hear that."

"After we got there, we tried finding a boat. Try to get out on the water. But it all fucked up so fast and before I know it... Clementine was taken from me." He wrinkled his nose as he recalled the stranger who kidnapped his sweet pea. "I went to get her back. But... I failed to protect her... and she died because of me."

He finished his story there. It was too painful to carry on, and Luke seemingly understood this as he sighed. "You can't beat yourself up over this, Lee."

"Yeah?" He asked, his voice sounding desperate rather than his usual bitter tone. "Well, I can't just get over it either."

He's had enough talking about it. Standing up, he just turned and exited the room silently without saying goodnight to Luke; though the other seemed to not take offense to this. Remembering where he said Omid and Christa was, Lee made a direct line for the bedroom that was on his right. Opening the door, he spotted Christa lying comfortably on the bed, with Omid watching whatever was out of the window. "You guys alright?"

"I'm just glad we're not sleeping on the ground tonight." Omid shrugged, though Christa frowned deeply. "I don't like this, Lee. If you ask me, we should just pack our things and leave in the morning."

"I ain't leaving Sarah," he growled. "And without Sofia we're just more vunerable. I hate what that bastard did to her, Christa, but we gotta think about survival right now. And with the baby on the way..."

"I know." She spat, seemingly annoyed with the constant reminder of how vulnerable she was. "Stop reminding me. I know that it's just gonna be harder when the baby comes, but we've always made it with just the three of us. We don't need anyone else."

"Just get some sleep." Lee waved off. "We can discuss this again in the morning."

"You alright, Lee?" Omid asked from his perch. "You seemed weird with something back at that spot where we tried to find Sarah's dad."

His face fell when Lee recalled that incident; quickly turning around to check that no one is listening in on their conversation. Turning back around, he shook his head and whispered. "Man... I saw Carlos. He... didn't make it."

Christa and Omid shared a look of shock, before the Persian quickly swore. "Shit."

"I didn't tell Sarah." He further revealed. "How could I? She could barely keep herself together with Sofia, and she wasn't family."  
"Lee..." Christa sighed, rubbing her temples as she tried to think of a way out of this situation. "I know." He groaned, pacing back and forth as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm gonna have to tell her soon. We can't keep her in the dark forever."

"This is why we should leave." Christa growled. "This is not our problem. We have to think about what will happen when you tell those murderers that we found their dead friend. They killed Sofia just for walking near Sarah!"

"We'll talk about this tomorrow." Lee just pushed off, moving towards the door as he added. "Now try and get some sleep. Night, guys."

He closed the door behind him as he softly heard Christa reply. "Night, Lee." 


	5. Tricked Into Aid

Lee's eyes cracked open slowly. It was morning by the sight of the previously dark room brightly lit, the sunlight beaming in through the closed windows. The room was almost peaceful, tranquil even, with the silence for the first time being like music to his ears. The outside world seemed non-existent from his position on the couch; the sound of the wind softly blowing and the rain long gone made the day just seem that little brighter. The couch itself wasn't even that bad, though the beds would have been better for his ageing back.

The sound of his growling stomach pulled him out of his dazed trance. Sitting up, he placed a hand on his shirt in an attempt to silence the growing yearnings for food. He didn't really eat yesterday, or the day before that. In fact it was at least three days. How he could even stand without feeling dizzy or weak is beyond him.

Remembering the supplies he and the others scavenged the other day, he quickly reached around for his bag only to find it gone. Looking over the back of the couch, the absence of his backpack only confirmed it, sending a tinge of anxiety in his gut. Jumping to his feet, he quickly thought about whether Omid and Christa took it, just to keep it with their supplies too, and rushed to the door leading to their room. Opening it quickly, he didn't take any notice to the couple practically jumping out of their skin as he searched the room, moving things out of the way in a frenzy.

"Lee?" Christa called out, though only to be ignored by him. "Lee!"

"It's gone." He muttered. He stared up at them with a fallen face. "My bag. It had our food and water a-and..."

Realization dawned on him. "Clementine's hat. It was in my bag and I can't find it! It has her hat!"

"Lee, calm down," Omid tried to calm. "Maybe you misplaced it."

"No, no, it was behind the couch when I went to sleep."

"The couch? Why were you sleeping on the couch." Christa asked.

"It's not important. What's important that the only thing I have left is gone!"

"Okay," Christa reasoned, slowly getting out of bed due to her pregnancy. "Where have you checked?"

"Behind the couch and then in here. I thought you guys put it with your things but..." He paused in his rant, trying to think of some explanation to where it would have gone. No one could have snuck in and taken it without taking everything else too, and most probably killing him whilst he slept just to be on the safe side. Christa and Omid still had their bags. Sarah wouldn't have taken anything that wasn't hers. She just didn't seem like that type of girl. Nick was up in his room all night, and even then what would the moody bastard gain from stealing from him. Same went for Christa and Omid, especially considering Lee trusted them and they had their own supplies. That only left...

Turning around on his foot, Lee stormed out of the room without uttering another word to Christa or Omid. Turning left as soon as he left the room, he burst through the kitchen door to see Luke standing there, bowls filled with food on the table. Scanning the room, he noticed his bag propped beside the door, the latch undone and its contents exposed. Clementine's hat was still there, but a few cans of food and a bottle of water was missing.

"You took my bag," he accused, glaring at Luke. "Why?"

"I figured considering we showed you the cabin, and we're working together, you could at least share some of your food."

"You had no right. This stuff was found by me, it belongs to me, so if you get handsy with my stuff again then I'm gonna chop your goddamn hands off!"

"I hear you." Luke just shrugged, before pushing a bowl in his direction. The object didn't move much, but the action spoke clearly to Lee, him grabbing it and scooping the cold beans with his hands. A rattling drew his attention as a spoon slid its way to him. "We have spoons too. We don't have to eat like savages."

"Alright Princess." Lee scoffed, grabbing the spoon. He greedily ate the contents of his bowl, not realizing just the extent of his hunger. With everything gone so quickly, he couldn't help but feel disappointed, though he just tossed the bowl back on the table instead of saying anything. Luke picked up two more bowls and handed them over to Lee.

"Your friends must be hungry too. Take these to them."

It sounded more like an order than an offer, but Lee didn't say anything again as he took both bowls, exiting the room once more and made his way back to the couple's bedroom. Using his shoulder to open the door, Lee could see that Omid was up and ready for the day, him doing up his shoes whilst Christa pulled her hair up into her usual tight bun.

"I got some food," he spoke up. "Courtesy of my bag."

"You found it then?" Omid asked, taking the bowls from his companion and passing one over to his girlfriend. "Where was it?"

"In the kitchen, after Luke helped himself to some of our supplies."

"What?" Christa snapped, pausing in her eating. "We scavenged for those ourselves! We need as much as we can get for the trip north."

"Not this again," Lee growned. "Christa-"

"We're leaving, Lee."

"Christa..." Omid interrupted.

"No, Omid. We need to do this. We don't know who these people are, and we've seen what they can do. If you ask me, we eat this and then hit the road while we still got daylight."

Lee rubbed the back of his head in annoyance. "What about Sarah?"

"This again?" Christa growled. "Lee, she's not your responsibility or ours! She's theirs. We rescued her, we tried to find her dad and it turned out that isn't possible anymore. We did all we could. Now it's time to move on."

"I wish it was that easy." Christa seemed even more angry with what Lee just said. She grabbed her jacket off the headrest and threw it on with a scowl on her face, until she finally paused and glared up at Lee. "She's not Clementine. No matter what you do she's not coming bac-"

"I know!" The outburst seemed to silence Christa. "I know she's not Clementine. I'm not deranged, Christa, I'm not trying to replace Clem with Sarah. I would never do that. But what you're asking me? To leave her behind with some guys that are capable of murder and god knows what else? You know I can't do that."

"We can't stay." Christa simply stated. "I'm sorry Lee but that's it."

"Then I guess this is where we part ways," Lee counted. "I don't wanna lose you guys but I ain't abandoning Sarah either."

"Guys," Omid tried to intrude. "This doesn't need to happen."

"If Lee wants to stay here with Sofia's murderers then let him." Christa spat, clutching her bowl with some force. "All I'm saying is he should watch his back."

She brushed past Lee and then exited the room. The door softly closed behind her, leaving the two remaining men alone. Lee just stared at Omid, who returned the look sadly before he too grabbed his own jacket off the desk, throwing it on before offering a slight smile. "I'll talk to her."

"Thanks, man. I don't wanna lose you guys but if I have to choose... You know how it is."

"Yeah, I understand. It must be hard without Clem."

"It is," Lee agreed. "But even if she was here, I'd still be opting to stay. This place is warm, safe and it'd be a great place to raise her baby."

"Our baby. Just because she's carrying it for nine months... and then having to deal with all the hormones... and then there's the childbirth. On second thought, she's doing most of the work."

"My point is," Lee chided. "Up north seems like a good plan for other people. The cold thing may not even be true, and to top it off we'll have a baby to worry about. Out here, there's not many walkers out here like Savannah and we're away from any main road or highway. With the river and supply runs I can do, we can make it work here."

"You make a point." Omid commented, appearing convinced by Lee's argument. "I'll try to convince her. Don't worry."

With that said, he too brushed past Lee as he went to find his pregnant girlfriend. Left alone in the room, he took this time to take in the sights of the room that he was occupying. The double bed was placed just off to the side of the door, it duvet and pillows looking in good condition given the situation. The open window let in natural light that brightened the room beautifully, the curtains framing the windowsill blowing gently in the breeze. The only other thing in the room was a desk, a chair long gone, with a list of names written on a piece of paper. Amusingly, the only names there was Omid Jr and Omid the Second written in scribbly handwriting, with a line through the names and cursive handwriting showing exactly what Christa thought of the names.

Done with watching the room, Lee decided to leave it in search for the couple, pushing through the door when the sound of arguing could be heard from the kitchen. Christa's voice was easily distinguishable from the others.

"That food was meant for our trip north! We barely have enough as it is!"

"What else do you want me to serve for breakfast? Rocks?"

"Guys."

"If this is the thanks I get for making you guys breakfast then you should just hurry up and leave. Me and Nick didn't need to let you guys stay the night, and we didn't need to give your friend the burial you wanted."

"Sofia deserved at least that! And if it wasn't for your murderous bastard of a friend then she would still be alive!"

"Guys, let's just-"

"We thought you we dangerous, and you had Sarah! What were we supposed to do?!"

"You could have just come forward! We weren't gonna hurt her!"

"Christa, you gotta cal-"

"And get shot or worse?! After what just happened to us?!"

"Luke, we didn't-"

"Oh, you guys had a hard time?! Boo-hoo, so have we and you don't see us blowing poor girls' brains ou-!"

"Guys!" Omid finally snapped, reaching the end of his tether with being constantly ignored. Lee decided to just leave him to deal with Christa and Luke, opting to go upstairs and check up on Sarah. Walking over to the staircase, he briefly glanced up before making his way up the steps. Skipping the few at the top, he briskly made his way to the bedroom Sarah claimed as her own.

Slowly, he opened the door to find that Sarah was already up and awake. She was lying on her bed with the book she found last night on her pillow, her glasses resting on the top of her head as she quietly read. He noticed that his jacket was lying over her top half, most likely being sentimental to her rather than keeping her warm. Opening the door wider, Lee cleared his throat to get Sarah's attention, the teenager jumping slightly at the sound. Shocked brown eyes met his own, Sarah straightening up and pushing a stray hair from her face. It was only then did Lee notice that her hair was down, and fairly long as it reached her shoulders.

"I was just checking to see you were awake," he explained, entering the room. "You sleep alright?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "These beds are comfy. Even more than the ones we had to sleep on in..."

She trailed off, obviously disturbed by wherever she previously lived. Anxious eyes stared down at the floor. Lee felt worry gnaw at his stomach, before he pushed it down and instead softly encouraged the traumatized girl. "It's okay. Take your time. Where did you last live?"

"This place up north," she explained. "It was a shopping centre before this all started. Me and Dad were told that it was safe there, safer than out there, and he took me there to keep me safe. But... it wasn't safe at all."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The man who led it was nice enough at first, but he changed. He started turning people away who needed help, then started making us work really hard, even harder than before. Those who objected to his ways were either sent to the pen or..."

She stopped talking, her head hanging even further as her chest began rising quickly; signalling to Lee that he should try to calm her down. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he frowned when she tensed for a moment. "This man... He was a bad man, wasn't he?"

"He still acted the same. He would be nice talking to you and you could tell him if you were bothered by something. But then Dad told me not to tell him anything, that if I did he would use it to hurt people. He wasn't particularly nice to girls either... he said that..."

"What did he say, Sarah?"

"Girls were only good for two thing, to make a good meal or a man really happy in bed."

This made Lee grimace in disgust. Sarah seemed confused however, staring up at Lee as she asked. "I don't understand why he said that. I mean, the woman downstairs is really nice and can take care of herself and Sofia..."

The reminder of Sofia seemed to have a drastic effect on Sarah as she bit her lip softly, tears welling in her eyes. Lee offered her a look of sympathy. "If someone you know is good, but then they do a bad thing, does that make them a bad person?"

"It depends. People nowadays do a lot of bad things, but that doesn't necessarily make them bad people. You just gotta do what you think is best for your survival, and the survival of the people you care about."

"I don't understand though. Dad told me that killing is wrong, no matter what the intention is. It doesn't make any sense."

"Sarah, people don't make a lotta sense."

"How come?"

"Cause bad things happen to everyone... and it's hard to keep being yourself after they do."

Sarah seemed to be deep in thought with what Lee just told her. "But it is possible to keep being yourself though?"

"Sometimes..." Lee seemed unconvinced with his own words. "It's really hard though. Sometimes too hard."

"Have bad things happen to you?"

Taken aback by the simple question, Lee appeared conflicted with his feelings as he muttered. "Lots of times."

"Really?" Sarah seemed curious about this. "What happened?"

"I lost a lot of people, and I've had to do a lot of bad things. But that was to protect the people I cared about, because if I didn't do the bad thing, then something worse could have happened."

"But you're still a good person," Sarah pointed out. "Even though you've done bad things."

"Yeah... but I'm scared that I've lost a piece of myself along the way." Lee sighed, staring down at the floor with saddened eyes. Sarah appeared unsettled with this, and tucked her legs up against her chest whilst she breathed heavily. Lee noticed this and raised his hands slowly. "It's alright. I'm fine."

"It's not just that... there were people back at my old home that wanted to leave. I think they were scared of losing themselves too."

"Considering what you've told me, yeah, it would be hard not to be scared."

"I'm always scared," Sarah sighed. "I wish I wasn't so useless, like you and Luke and Christa and everyone! I'm so worthless that my own dad probably left me!"

"Sarah," Lee whispered. "You are not worthless."

"Yes I am," she sniffed. "You're never scared when you have to fight those walkers."

"I'm always scared, Sarah." The look of surprise on her face made Lee determined to continue. "I may not seem like it, but whenever I'm out there whether fighting the walkers or just surviving, I'm really scared. You may not think adults can, considering we're bigger and stronger, but even adults can get scared too. Being scared isn't a weakness, and you should never think yourself as such for only being young."

"I just wanna help. I don't wanna just sit here and be scared." Lee couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor teenager, thinking back to Ben for some reason. Poor kid just wanted to help, and yet everything he did seemed to only make the situation worse. Yet again, Ben didn't have anyone to teach him right, and Lee felt guilt eat at him for failing to help him.

"Sarah, I can teach you a few things to make you better at protecting yourself. But some of the things you might not like."

"Oh no..." She mumbled, shooting him a weary look. "I don't have to do anything that involved carrying heavy objects, do I?"

"What? No." Sarah visibly relaxed. "It's your hair. It's not safe."

"That's not very nice. Dad said he liked my hair."

"Not like that. I mean that it's too long, a walker or someone wanting to hurt you could grab hold of it."

"I don't know. I'd have to ask my dad when we find him. He was not pleased when my best friend gave me a trim a couple of years ago." That tale sounded amusing to Lee, but then was not the time to inquire further.

"Alright, we can leave the trimming for now, but at least let me tie it up to make it harder to grab." He offered.

"Sure." Sarah grabbed her elastic headband from the night stand beside her bed before moving closer to Lee, handing him the small object and waiting patiently for him to tie her hair up safely. With the headband in one hand, Lee grabbed the hair in one handful and began to twist it around into a bun, copying how Christa wore her own hair.

"Have you ever done anything with hair before?" Sarah asked.

"Once," Lee mused, recalling the time on the train with Clementine's curly mess of hair. "Though I think I got a bit more practice."

"Who with?"

"Just someone I knew. Please, don't ask me again."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Lee felt bad for telling Sarah off. He just didn't have it in him to talk about Clem, not so soon afterwards. Finishing his task with her hair, he paused for a moment to admire his hard work, Sarah herself touching the bun and smiling. "It's cool. I like it."

"That's one thing done, now..." He trailed off, watching Sarah become even more weary as he stood up. Fishing his pistol out of his pants' waistband, he held it out in his hand and asked seriously. "Has your dad taught you anything about this?"

"No, he told me to stay away from them."

"He most probably had good intentions, but it's dangerous for you to be out here and not know how to shoot a gun." He paused when Sarah stared at the weapon with a concerned expression. "First off, don't be afraid of it. It's just a thing."

"What does that mean?" Sarah asked, taking hold of the gun when Lee passed it to her.

"It means that the gun itself can't harm you. On its own, it's just another object, but when someone is holding it... then you should be afraid."

"That's when I run?"

"If you have an escape and there's no other way, yeah. But if there's loads of people, or if you're backed into a corner, then there's not much you can do besides surrender."

"I don't wanna think about that."

"You're right, probably a lot to take on for your first time holding one." Lee nodded. "Second, keep track where your finger is at all times, make sure it's not on the trigger and only point it at something you're gonna kill."

"Only at something I'm gonna kill, got it." Sarah noted, feeling the weight of the gun in her hand and added. "Is that why Nick aimed his gun at Sofia? Because he was gonna shoot her anyway?"

"I don't know. He thought you were in danger, and acted irrationally because he cares about you. His intentions were good, Sarah, it's just that he was horribly mistaken on our motives."

"Nick's a good guy, but he did something bad." Sarah pointed out. "Do you think he's having a hard time being himself?"

"Maybe, who knows what happened to him out there?"

Sarah just lowered her head and glanced down at the gun in her hand, before handing it back over to Lee. "I think I've had enough for today's lesson."

"Yeah, you're probably right." He agreed, staring down at his gun. It was Carley's glock, and he felt an odd sense of nostalgia when taking in its details. Placing it back into his waistband, he smiled down at Sarah, though the teenager glanced nervously at her bed. Confused with this, Lee decided to speak up. "Sarah, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Well..." She lost her words. "Please, don't tell anyone I found it?"

"What did you find?" Lee pressed, growing concerned with the sudden secrecy. Finding no way to talk her way out, Sarah shuffled over to her bed and kneeled down, taking out a box shaped object from under it. Holding it in her hand, Lee could clearly see that it was a walkie talkie. Quickly, he snatched it from her and flipped the switch, finding that it still worked. "Who have you been talking to on this?"

"No one," she answered, though Lee's stares made her more nervous. "I found it in Luke's room and thought, considering my dad had one, he'd be able to hear me and come find us. I didn't talk to anyone, I swear!"

Carlos's corpse didn't have a walkie talkie on him. Disturbed by this new information, Lee just glared down at the walkie talkie with all the hatred he could muster. He wasn't going to let anyone else die because of some stupid radio, and he sure as hell wasn't going to let Sarah be manipulated just like Clementine was. Slipping it into his pocket, he stared down at an ashamed Sarah. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," he consoled. "But these things are dangerous for unsuspecting people. You don't know who's on the other side, and they might make you do things that you don't wanna do."

"I didn't know that. I-I just wanted my dad to come find me."

"I know Sarah. But now you know how dangerous these can be, so just be careful."

"I will."

"I just gotta talk to Luke about this." Lee explained. "If he's got a walkie talkie that works, then he should keep it under better security."

Exiting the room, Lee had to compose himself as he jumped down the steps of the stairs, making his way across the living room when he reached the bottom. Pushing through the kitchen door, he could only see Luke and Nick, who must have left his room when Lee checked in on Sarah. Omid and Christa weren't anywhere in the room.

"Your friends are back in their room." Luke snapped, seemingly annoyed from the lack of manners from Christa. "What's up?"

"This." Lee spat, pulling the walkie talkie out of his pocket furiously. He watched as Luke face fell upon looking at the object in Lee's hand. Nick appeared confused by the appearance of the walkie talkie, suggesting that he wasn't in on its presence in the room he shared with the other man.

Not receiving an answer seemed to infuriate Lee further. "I found Sarah with it in her room! What were you thinking?! Do you realize how dangerous this thing can be?!"

"Dangerous?" Luke questioned. "It's a walkie talkie."

"It's not the walkie talkie itself I'm afraid of more than who could be on the other side!"

Luke seemed nervous by that. Not waiting for a response, Lee just gripped the object with excessive force. "I ain't gonna let your stupidity threaten this group!"

He threw the walkie talkie on the floor and stomped on it multiple times, watching the object crack and splinter under the pressure. Luke watched in horror as his possession was violently destroyed by Lee. With it completely broken, Lee stepped away whilst breathing heavily, the adrenaline in his veins dying down quickly.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Luke snapped, angered by what Lee just did. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"I made the right choice."

Luke paused, his face clearly showing his anger towards Lee, before he continued. "I was using the walkie talkie to talk to Pete."

"Pete?" Nick gasped. "He's alive?!"

"When we got seperated after escaping Howes, Pete contacted me over the radio. We tried meeting up but everytime it was either the lurkers or Carver's men after us. I was gonna contact him with the cabin's whereabouts when Lee completely overreacted."

"You fucker!" Nick yelled, lunging for Lee when Luke stopped him. "You're dead! You hear me, DEAD! My uncle is out there and you've fucked up the only chance I get to find him!"

"It's gonna be alright, Nick." Luke tried to calm. "We'll find Pete. Last time I talked to him, he said he was following the river until he reaches the bridge. He said he'll wait out as long as he can."

"When was this?" Lee asked.

"Yesterday morning."

"And what? We're supposed to just up and sticks on a wild goose chase?"

"It wouldn't have been one if you didn't just destroy our only WALKIE TALKIE!" Nick snapped, struggling against Luke to try and attack Lee. Lee was suspicious though, but he couldn't prove his suspicions without any proof. "What about Carlos?"

"What?"

"What about Carlos?" Lee repeated himself. "Sarah told me he too had a walkie talkie. Why haven't you contacted him?"

"I tried too, but he went dark." Luke explained, though Lee's question seemed to have thrown him off guard a little.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Nick asked desperately. "Without the walkie talkie, we don't know where Uncle Pete is. We gotta leave if we want to reach up with him at the bridge."

"The bridge is a three, four day walk from here. We don't even have the supplies to make it that far." Luke explained. Nick seemed undeterred by this massive fact, determined to go out and find his only family who was stuck out there.

"I don't care!"

"You're gonna die before you even reach nightfall." Lee bluntly stated.

Nick frowned deeply as he glared hatefully at Lee. "Fuck you, you fucking asshole! This is all your fault!"

"Okay, look." Luke reasoned, pushing Nick away to stop the fighting. "We can make runs to the river and nearby towns for supplies. Once we have enough supplies, we can make our way to the bridge to find Pete."

"'We'?" Lee emphasized. "I don't see where me or Christa and Omid fit into this."

"You're the one who broke our only means to contact Uncle Pete, so you can repay us by helping us find him."

"Wait," Luke objected. "Lee and his friends can still leave. We don't need them to find Pete, Nick. Plus, can we even trust them when we're sleeping or in trouble? Best to just cut them loose and me, you and Sarah can-"

"I'm not leaving Sarah." Lee snapped. "I'll come with you guys. You'd need the extra hands for supply runs. Plus, Christa and Omid can watch Sarah back here for safety."

Luke seemed annoyed by this offer, whereas Nick seemed outraged by Lee destroying his only means of contacting his uncle, though Lee offering to help seemed to damper his rage slightly. Luke sighed and then just rubbed his nose bridge. "Fine, fine. Whatever."

"I'll tell Omid and Christa." With that, Lee left the two and the kitchen, instead walking into the couple's room. Omid was sitting on the windowsill, staring out of the window with a look of boredom on his face, although Christa was resting on the bed as she finding herself doing a lot these days. The two noticed his presence finally, though Christa seemed annoyed with Lee at the moment. "You guys decided on what you're gonna do?"

"I still vote we leave but..." Christa glanced at Omid. "If this place is as safe as you're selling it, then I guess we can stay for a while."

"About that."

"What now?"

"Luke told me that he was using this walkie talkie to contact another member of his group; Pete. I didn't know this before I... destroyed it."

"Jesus fucking Christ, Lee."

"I panicked. I guess after what happened with Clem, I just didn't want it to happen with Sarah."

"Sarah had the walkie talkie?"

"Yea, and I just saw red. After I realized what I'd done, Nick was screaming that he was gonna kill me." Lee noted their worried faces. "I gotta help them with supply runs, and when we have enough we're going to the bridge up north to find their friend."

"What?" Christa seemed angered by this. "Once I agreed to stay here and now we're moving out again?!"

"It's not like we got much choice, Christa." Lee snapped. "Sarah isn't going to leave them, and you know I won't leave her."

"You know what? I'm tired of arguing. Do whatever the hell you want, Lee."

Rage flashed over Lee's eyes as he just threw his hands up in defeat. "Whatever. I'm doing what's best for Sarah."

He stormed to the door once more, stopping for a moment when Christa replied.

"No, you're doing what's best for you."


	6. Gone Fishing

The soft tweeting of birds could be heard from their nests up in the trees, and was accompanied by the gentle breeze that blew through the forest. All around Lee and Nick were just trees, one having fallen over the path they were using to get to the river. The environment around him was surreal, peaceful even, and Lee could feel himself growing calmer as he could given the fact he was stuck with Nick. The thought of just abandoning him ran through Lee's mind multiple times. Though actually doing it wouldn't accomplish anything, save for making Lee feel better than Sofia's murderer was gone.

Feet trudged across the dusty ground. Lee clutched his rifle in his hands tightly, his fire axe strapped to his back to serve as an alternative weapon. Nick too was holding a rifle, though that was his only weapon. The two walked together in silence, not even looking at each other as Lee kept his sights forward.

Keeping one eye out for any walkers that could sneak up on them, Lee glanced over at Nick and noticed he was walking with a limp. His eyes seemed bloodshot, even more so than last night, suggesting that Nick wasn't getting much sleep either. Along with the physical symptoms, he seemed more withdrawn, his eyes dull compared to angered or pissed off that they're usually like.

"You alright?" Lee asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

"Why do you care?"

"I'm just concerned about that." He gestured to Nick's limp. "You weren't like that last night."

Nick tensed when his injury was mentioned; not looking at Lee when he mumbled. "I slipped down a step and hurt my leg."

"I didn't hear anything." Lee pointed out. Nick was still in his room when Lee came upstairs to check on Sarah, though he could have missed the thump when he was talking. Maybe Luke would know what had happened, or maybe he was the one who did this to Nick. It seemed far off and yet Lee couldn't explain how else it happened. If he asked Nick then he could risk further souring this partnership, and he didn't think he could cope with an even more pissed off Nick. He decided to press further without mentioning Luke.

"Are you sure? You wouldn't be on the supply run with me if you had a bad leg. It would just endanger both of us. I thought Luke would have noticed this and benched you."

"I'm fine," Nick growled. "We just can't afford to any of us not doing the supply runs. The sooner we get the stuff we need, the sooner we can go and find Uncle Pete."

"About this Pete," Nick's tense shoulders signalled that this topic was a sore one. "How exactly did you guys gets separated?"

"We were escaping and we got separated by walkers."

"That doesn't explain much. Is this the place that Sarah told me?"

Nick finally looked at Lee with shock on his face. "What did she tell you?"

"Mostly about this guy who led the whole community. He was an asshole."

"Not just an asshole..." Nick muttered. "He's a complete psycho. We barely escaped with everyone, and then we gotta deal with..."

He paused for a moment. This perked Lee's interest, and caused him to scowl. "What? What have you dragged us into?"

"N-Nothing." Nick quickly dismissed.

"No, no, no. What have we gotta-?"

"Just leave it!" This outburst was bad, even for Nick, and caused Lee to stop walking momentarily. "Please, don't make me say."

"Nick, what the fuck is going on?"

"It's all so fucked."

"Nick?"

"We're never gonna get away. Why did I let Pete and Carlos convince me to go?" Fuck, fuck, we're all so-"

"Nick!" Lee pushed Nick's shoulder as hard as he could, desperate to snap him out of whatever Nick was suffering from. However, Nick didn't brace for this impact and tumbled over his two feet, falling to the ground with a yelp and then a thump. Standing there with shock on his face at what he done, Lee just watched Nick wince in pain as he tried helping himself up.

"Oh shit, Nick." He tried to apologize, rushing to his side. "I didn't mean to-"

"Get off me!" Nick snapped, pushing Lee away and then got up himself. Turning around to him, Lee could clearly see the anger returning to Nick's eyes as he further yelled. "Don't fucking touch me again!"

"You were sprouting creepy shit, man." Lee tried to reason.

"Just forget about what I said. Luke'll be on my ass if he found out what's going on, and I don't wanna deal with the aggro."

"Luke, he's your friend?"

"I've known him for near enough twenty years. We were close until this whole shit started, and then we were busy with work or I wanted to be alone after..."

The look of pain on Nick's face made Lee feel sympathy for the first time. "What happened?"

"My mom died." Nick's voice was barely a whisper. "She got bit one day, then she turned and tried to attack me. I had the gun in my hands but... I couldn't pull the trigger. Uncle Pete did it instead, and that was the first time I saw him really angry, it was like nothing before and he was always a bastard to me."

"Maybe he was grieving and lashed out. It's to be expected, considering this was his sister that he had to kill."

"Yeah and she was my mom." Nick frowned. "He always made me feel like I was just a fuck-up. Said that he had to make me tough to survive in the real world, and this was before all this shit started. Mean old bastard constantly said I was too soft and yet... I'd give anything for him to be here right now. He would know what to do. He would have found Carlos by now."

Lee glanced around him nervously when he mentioned Carlos. The look on his face made Nick frown, who moved forward slightly. "What? You know something about Carlos?"

"No." He replied quickly, too quickly for Nick's liking.

"You're lying. I swear to god, if you've hurt Carlos it's not Sarah's safety you'll have to worry about." The rifle in his hands made the rest of his point. "Well? Are you gonna tell me?"

"Look, man. "Lee replied, gripping his own rifle. "I didn't do anything to him."

"But you know where he is?"

Lee paused for a moment, torn on what he should say. Nick could kill him if he said he found Carlos's corpse, or Nick would kill him if he carried on lying. Either way Lee was stuck. Deciding on telling the truth, he kept his grip on his rifle as he explained. "I do, but... you might not like what I'm gonna say."

"Just tell me."

"He's dead." The look of rage on Nick's face made Lee raise his rifle just as soon as Nick raised his own; the two stuck in a standoff. "I didn't kill him! He was dead when I found him!"

"How can I trust you?!"

"Oh, that's just rich!" Lee snapped. "While we're on this topic, how can I trust you or Luke after what you did to Sofia?!"

"That was an accident! I didn't mean to kill her!"

"And I didn't kill Carlos!" Lee insisted. "We went to where Sarah was last with him, and I found him behind an overturned tree. He didn't make it, Nick, and I had to put him down before Sarah found him."

"Shit... Does she know?"

"No."

Nick appeared disturbed by this revelation as he lowered his rifle, the barrel of the weapon pointing at the ground whilst Lee copied his actions. The two just stood there for a few seconds, the difference of then compared to the vicious argument that took place only moments ago was bizarre. The sound of Nick's voice could be barely heard when he swore. "Fuck. What are we gonna do?"

"We keep this from her." Lee answered, noting Nick's disgusted expression. "She won't be able to cope with this. It's too big. Best that she thinks he's still out there."

"Are you kidding me?! This is her dad we're talking about, and she's gonna find out eventually!"

"You aren't telling her, alright?" Lee threatened. Nick seemed taken aback by this threat, before he just gulped and nodded quickly. "Alright."

"Why are you so fixated on not leaving her?" Nick suddenly asked. "You've only known her for a day at most."

"That's none of your business."

"Well, it kinda is. Sarah's been with us since just after this started. I want to know that you're truly concerned about her and not just looking to use her."

"I've protected her when we first met, didn't I?" Lee growled. "I didn't have to do shit for her, but I did. I risked the safety of my people and myself to go looking for her dad, even though I just met her, because she was in trouble and needed my help. So you don't have to worry about me being some sadist or pedophile or whatever."

"You make a point."

"Let's just get to the river before our shouting causes the dead to jump on us." Lee grumbled, walking off down the path with Nick in tow. The two men then returned to the silence they were walking in before. The birds resumed their tweeting after the arguments and Lee could hear the roaring of the river from the distant; signalling that the duo were close. The fish traps Luke gave him rattled in his backpack, Nick too carrying a large backpack to carry the cooler for the caught fish.

"How old was she?" Nick suddenly asked.

"What?"

"How old was she? The girl that was with you guys yesterday?"

Sofia flashed through Lee's mind, causing him to glare daggers as he replied through gritted teeth. "She was eighteen. She told me she just got out of high school when this started."

"Fuck..." Nick seemed guiltier than before. "Di-Did you know her long?"

"I met her a few days, when she camp across our camp. She told us about going up north and we were making our way there when-"

"When I killed her." Nick's voice made Lee raise an eyebrow. It sounded upset, hell he even sounded ashamed in his actions. He was actually sorry for what he did. "I'm sorry."

"I can't say I'll forgive you, Nick,it's too soon. But you realized what you did, and that you killed someone that wasn't gonna hurt anyone. That was something at least."

It was left at that when the trees began retreating to ring around a bare area. The river could be heard from below, and along with it the growls of a couple of crippled walkers. Unsheathing his fire axe, Lee signalled for Nick to stay where he was as he neared the two walking corpses, lifting the axe higher as he progressed closer. Raising it fully over his head, he brought it down on top of one of the walker's head, the squelching sound it made when the blade pierced through rotting flesh and skull bone. It convulsed for a brief moment before collapsing to the ground. Its companion seemed to have smelt Lee and heard the noise of the other walker being murdered; its head turning around and gnashing its filthy teeth at Lee.

Pulling his axe free, he raised it over his head once more whilst the walker crawled towards him, growling in hunger as one of its arms reached out for him. Grunting loudly, Lee slammed the axe downwards and into the walker's head, though the progression of the rotting was so severe that the skull split open in two; exposing the decayed brain material to Lee. Groaning in disgust, he let his arm holding the axe hang by his side as he stared down at the dead walker.

"It ain't coming back." He heard Nick chide, the taller man moving past him to the edge of the cliff. "Damn. There's a stairway leading down to the river bank."

"Is it still safe to use?" Lee asked, walking after Nick when he began moving towards the stairway. "Let me check it out."

Nick just shrugged and allowed Lee to take the lead, watching the river flowing calmly. Lee spotted the stairway, examining the state of it visually. "It seems to be in good condition. I can test it to-"

His foot pulled on something lying on the ground, the string-like object giving way momentarily before completely snapping. Something shot out of a nearby bush and wrapped around Lee's legs, causing the man to stumble diagonally as he tried to move away from the danger. The momentum of him moving and then pulling away caused Lee to roll sideways and off the edge of the cliff. His blood froze when he watched the incoming water in fear. "SHIT!"

He suddenly stopped falling, instead just dangling there like a slab of meat. He lifted his head to look up to the cliff edge, spotting Nick standing there with the chain in his hands, the other end digging uncomfortably into Lee's ankles. Nick grunted in exertion as he yelled. "Hang on!"

Just as he said that, a loud piercing alarm rang through the air, no doubtedly being heard for miles and would draw all the walkers in the area to their exact location. Nick turned his head in shock as Lee swore. "Goddammit, will this shit end?!"

He then looked up again at a frightened Nick. "Nick, help me! Pull me up!"

Blue eyes stared down at the endangered Lee as he just dangled there helplessly, before he could feel the chain around his feet slipping. Adrenaline pumped through his blood while he screamed. "Nick, the fucking chain's slipping! Pull me before I fucking fall!"

Snapping into action, Nick grabbed the chain as hard as he could and straightened himself up, before walking backwards to pull Lee up. Seeing himself being pulled away from the waters made Lee feel less anxious. Finally, his feet scrapped against the top of the cliff and he found himself trying to push himself up, hands scratching at the cliff face resulting in his deeply cutting his right palm. "Fuck!"

Eventually, Nick managed to pull Lee up onto the surface of the cliff, before standing there gasping for breath. The two glanced at each other, Lee offering a small smile of gratitude to Nick saving his life. Nick replied with the same gesture, but frowned when the alarm kept blaring loudly. "That thing's gonna call all lurkers in the area on top of us."

Lee nodded in agreement, standing up slowly and clutching his injured hand in pain. Pushing down the pain to focus on the current task, he straightened up and spotted his axe on the ground, him having dropped it when he was captured by that trap. "Let's go back to the cabin. We don't wanna be hear when all the dead come running, or worse."

Nick nodded in response. The two then took off down the path they took to get there, feet pounding heavily against the dusty ground. Lee clutched his injured hand in an attempt to dull the pain, trying to ignore the blood that was dripping from the wound and onto the ground, creating a small trail behind him.

As they kept running, Lee could feel his lungs and legs aching. Each breath he took in felt like searing fire in his chest. He glanced over at Nick and saw that he was in no better condition, looking over his shoulder on the lookout for danger. He stopped his running when he saw nothing chasing after them, bending over in pain with gasps of air being the only noise he was making. Nick noticed he stopped and ceased running too, breathing heavily as he turned around. "You think we're good?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Lee gasped. "I don't see anything."

"That alarm was set there by someone. What if it was Carver? What if he's following after us right now and we don't even know? What if-?"

"Nick!" Lee scolded. "Shut the fuck up! We're fine. But you better explain who this Carver guy is and fast."

"He's the leader of the community we escaped from. He's the asshole that Sarah told you about, and when we escaped he's most probably sent his goons after us to get us back."

"Why?" Lee asked. "No offense about this but what would he want with you guys?"

"Carlos was a doctor." Nick sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he paced. "He was the only doctor we had, so Bill's kinda pissed that he got away. Plus, Pete and Luke were good for dealing with people, anyone would do what they said. You don't have a lot of people like that."

"Well, if that was Carver's men back there, then wouldn't they have just captured you whilst you were busy pulling me up?" Lee reasoned. Nick thought on that, which seemed to have a calming effect on the younger man. With that taken cared of, Lee straightened himself and then groaned in pain again. His hand felt like it was on fire, and when he looked down it was covered in blood, the gash deep and painful.

"We can get that looked at when we're back at the cabin," Nick offered. He dropped his backpack on the ground and flipped it open, taking out a cloth before handing it over to Lee. "It's not much, but it should stop it from getting infected until we get back."

"Thanks, Nick." Lee replied gratefully, taking the cloth from him. He wrapped the cloth around his hand, wincing whilst doing so, before tying it into a knot on the back of his hand. He stared down at the bandaged hand, spotting the fabric becoming stained with the blood. Lowering his hand, he watched as Nick readjusted his backpack on his shoulder, looking up at Lee. "We better move."

They began running again in the direction of the cabin. Lee's legs were still screaming for him to stop, but he could manage better with his hand treated for the moment, the pain radiating from it dimming. The cabin was coming into sight when they decided to slow down, their legs wobbling with exhaustion as they dragged themselves the last few meters to the staircase leading up to the front porch. Lee was first up the staircase, moving quickly to the door when he noticed it wasn't locked.

"I thought you told Luke to lock the door until we get back?" He asked Nick, who was moving behind him as he replied. "I did."

"Well, it's unlocked. Be on your guard."

Nick nodded as he lifted his rifle, Lee swapping his fire axe for his own rifle before pushing the door open. The creaking only added to the atmosphere of the still cabin. Entering slowly, both Lee and Nick raised their rifles as they looked into the living room. There was no sign of activity. Signalling Nick to check the kitchen, Lee separated from him as he pushed open the door leading to Omid and Christa's room. The door let out a high-pitched creak, showing the room to Lee as he looked from behind his rifle. The room was empty as well, and he noticed that Christa's and Omids bags were gone with all the supplies. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him and spun around, his rifle aimed at the head of whoever was behind him.

"It's just me." Nick spoke up. Lee lowered his rifle slightly as Nick continued. "No one in the kitchen, and I can see there's nothing in here either."

"Christa and Omid's backpacks are gone. We better check upstairs to be safe."

"After you, then." Nick responded, allowing Lee to pass him as the two walked across the living room. The windows were all open, and the soft breeze blew through the curtains; lifting them up slightly. The air in the room was cold however, and it made Lee's hairs on the back of his neck stand fully. The stairs were a lot louder than they previously were when the two stalked up them. Lee peered around the corner to check the hallway, finding no one waiting there. He gestured to Nick to check his room, moving to Sarah's room.

Even the door was loud when he opened it, just like everything else in this cabin. The room behind the door was empty too, Sarah and all her possessions gone. Her book wasn't on the pillow and even Lee's jacket was gone too. The room seemed untouched. The bed sheets were straightened out, and the pillow looked like they were never used. Exiting the room, Lee spotted Nick exiting his room at the same time. "Find anything?"

"No," Nick sighed. "Last thing's the bathroom."

Lee kept hold of his rifle when he grabbed the knob, twisting it slowly and pushing the door ajar to glance inside. With the coast clear, he pushed the door fully open and stared at the empty room. The bathtub was covered by a shower curtain circling it, the inside exposed when Lee ripped the curtain away to reveal any hidden dangers, only to come with nothing. He heard something opening behind him and turned his head, seeing Nick checking the closet for anything useful. Glancing at the cabinet on the wall above the sink, Lee opened it and looked inside, surprised to spot a first aid kit sitting on the bottom shelf.

Taking it, he slipped off his backpack and opened it's main compartment, placing the first aid kit into the empty space available beside Clem's hat. He gave the hat a quick second glance before he closed the backpack again, slinging it over his shoulder.

"This is fucked up." He heard Nick swear. "Where is everyone?"

Lee sighed as he turned around, staring at Nick with a worried expression as he replied to the taller man's question.

"They're all gone."


	7. A House Divided

"What are we gonna do now?"

Nick's question hung in Lee's mind as he sat at the kitchen table, both his arms resting on the surface. He just stared at the worn wood with heavy thought, his missing friends the main priority. Their disappearance eluded him; people don't just disappear, do they?

Nick was pacing frantically beside him, using the full kitchen room before he turned around and repeated the action. The sound of his feet were the only sound that was made, neither of them speaking after that question was asked. Lee tried figuring it all out, and when he couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation, he sighed deeply. "I don't know."

"Where could everyone have gone?" Nick asked again, pausing in his pacing as he continued. "They couldn't have just up and left. We were still out there. Luke wouldn't have left us without giving us some sort of clue to where the fuck he was going."

"What if he couldn't?" Lee pointed out, glancing over to the taller man. "What if someone or something scared everyone off?"

"They would have come to us."

"Use your head, Nick. The alarm was bringing every walker for miles to our exact location. Do you think Luke would risk everyone else for us? If he didn't think we were already dead?"

"You don't know Luke. He would do anything to help me." Nick snapped.

"He was looking after other people when we left. If it was just him then yeah, he might have come to help us. But he wasn't, and he had to think about whether risking others was worth it for just us."

"What do you mean 'just us'?!" Nick was getting more aggressive, walking closer to Lee threateningly. "He doesn't know you or your friends. He doesn't give a fuck about anyone else but me and Sarah. We are all that matters, not you or that pregnant bitch or her fucking idiot of a boyfriend-!"

Everything happened in a flash. Lee propelled his body forward, sending the chair flying backwards with a bang, and threw his hands in front of his. His injured hand ached suddenly when he pressed it and his other hand onto Nick's front; but he ignored it in his midst of rage as he pushed Nick against the wall. Both hands gripped tightly onto his shirt, pulling it towards Lee, and caused Nick to lean awkwardly forward. Cold blue eyes quickly transformed to terrified when Lee's face stopped merely inches from Nick, the latter watching him with a shocked expression written on his face.

Lee just stood there, staring into Nick's face whilst breathing heavily. The scene around him changed, the chair lying on the floor and the table moved forcefully when Lee first moved, as well as the background noise fading into nothing as even the wind stopped blowing. Rage was still written over Lee's face, his nostrils flaring and mouth pulled into a vicious snarl.

Slowly, Nick was pulled even closer to Lee's face, the assualter's voice a harsh growl as he spoke. "Don't you dare talk about Christa and Omid like that again. I don't care if you did save my life back there, if I hear you bad-mouthing good people who have helped me through the worst part of my life... you better watch your ass."

He then released Nick before he could even reply. Backing off, he watched as Nick bent over slightly and coughed violently, his eyes losing the fire behind them that they possessed before. The coughing slowly faded as Nick straightened himself again; glaring at Lee with all the hate he could muster. "I wish it was you I shot instead of your friend."

Lee didn't reply to this hateful comment. Instead, he winced in pain as his hand burned harshly, looking down to see that the makeshift bandage Nick gave him before was soaked with his blood. Moving back to the table, he lifted the chair back up and sat back down, reaching under the table to retrieve his bag. Pulling it from underneath the table, Lee flipped the top open and peered inside. Reaching in, he moved some cans out of the way before his fingers grazed against the first aid kit he found in the bathroom.

Pulling it out, he placed the kit on the table surface before opening it, pleased to see some disinfectant and bandages among the other first aid supplies in there. The first thing he grabbed was the bottle of disinfectant, putting it down beside the kit followed quickly with the bandages. Staring at the supplies in front of him, he undid the knot on the back of his hand and slipped the cloth off, turning his hand around so he could clearly see his palm.

The gash looked more deep than the last time he checked it. The palm was coated in blood, some dried and flakey whilst more continued to drip from the wound. Groaning quietly to himself, his eyes flickered to the bottle of disinfectant then back to the hand wound. Unscrewing the bottle top, he dropped it onto the table and grabbed the bottle; eyes glancing over at Nick, who was watching Lee with an angered expression. "Fuck."

He tipped the bottle slightly, allowing a small amount of disinfectant to collect at the rim of the bottle before he tipped it more; the clear liquid pouring onto his wound. The pain sparked through his entire arm like electricity, causing Lee to yell in pain and pull his arm closer to himself. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to cease his pained noises. His breathing laboured as he gasped several times, calming himself down before risking a peek at the aching hand.

The hand was shaking uncontrollably whilst the disinfectant did its job, fizzing loudly along the entire wound on Lee's palm. Taking a deep breath, he noticed Nick walking towards him and turned his head slightly, watching him grab the bottle top and screw it back onto the disinfectant bottle. Turning his attention back to his hand, Lee felt better now that all was left was wrapping it up, grasping the bundle of bandages and wrapping them around his hand.

Tucking the last piece into the back of his hand, Lee assessed the treated hand and smiled in response. "Looks good to me."

Nick stared at the bandaged hand before speaking up. "We gotta go and find them."

"How do you suggest we do that?" Lee asked, turning in his seat to Nick's direction. "Luke ain't left any clues to where he went, neither have Christa and Omid. We don't even know where to start."

Seemingly discouraged by that fact, Nick slumped against the wall with a muttered. "Jesus."

"Our best plan is to stay and camp out here. They could be on their way back now considering the coast is clear."

"How long are we gonna wait though? They could never come back, or it was Carver's work by the river and he's come and taken everyone!"

"How would he know you guys are here? We're hidden in the forest away from any main roads and the highway."

"That hasn't stopped him before. The man's like some kind of tracker! He finds you when you think you're finally safe and back to Howe's he take you!"

"Calm down. We gotta keep a cool head, or we're just gonna get nowhere." Lee calmed down. "If we go out and wander around in the woods then we're just gonna get eaten or killed by bandits."

Nick's face clearly showed the utter hopelessness that he was feeling, his shoulders sagging greatly like the world was sitting entirely on top of them. Lee frowned slightly as he stared at the defeated Nick; he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Faintly, he could hear Nick mumble. "I wish Uncle Pete was here. He would know what to do."

"We gotta do this ourselves. We can't rely on anyone who isn't here, otherwise we'd just tear ourselves up about it." Lee explained, standing up slowly. "Let's wait until tomorrow morning. If they don't come back..."

He grimaced at the thought of that. He couldn't help but feel useless in this situation. He wanted to go and find Christa and Omid, the last two people he cared about, but exactly where did they go? Was Nick right, that they have been taken by this Carver and what happened at the river was his doing?

"It is Carver, isn't it?"

Lee didn't reply. Nick took this lack of response as his answer and took a shaky breath in, resuming his pacing as he frantically rambled. "We're fucked. He's gonna kill Luke for this, that's if he hasn't already!"

"Nick, come on. You need to calm-"

"Stop telling me to calm down!" Nick lashed out. "It doesn't fucking help! That's what everyone says when I'm scared, 'Nick calm down' like I'm just magically going to be alright!"

Lee was taken back by the outburst from Nick, his face falling in shock as the two just stared at each other. Nick's shoulders heaved as his anger climaxed, before he just rubbed his face and then the side of his neck. The silence was tense. The wind hadn't blown since the previous outburst, and even Nick's breathing had quietened down to inaudible breaths. Lee sat there silently, staring at the window and taking in the sunlight, before standing up quickly. He briskly walked over to the window and closed the window, cutting off the wind blowing into the room.

Removing his arm, Lee raised his eyebrow when he spotted something coming towards the cabin. It was shaped like a tall man, and was walking way too fast to be a walker. Lee ducked out of sight before the man could see him, quietly swearing. "Fuck!"

"What?" Nick asked desperately. "What did you see?"

"Someone's coming towards the cabin. I didn't get a good enough look but it definitely ain't a walker."

Nick quickly moved to the door, grabbing the two rifles that were propped up against the door frame, before turning around and returning to his original place. He tossed one of the rifles to Lee, who grabbed it and nodded to him. With his weapon in hand, Lee stalked over to the back door past Nick. Standing up, he turned his head and nodded to Nick, receiving another in response. With both of them prepared, Lee grabbed the knob of the door and glanced out of the window; spotting the man only a few meters from the cabin.

Suddenly, he wrenched the door open and aimed his gun at the approaching figure. "Stay where you are!"

"Jesus fucking Christ!" The man called out, his voice deep and gruff. Taking in his details, the man in front of him looked older than even Lee, with greying hair that was almost shaved off and facial hair that matched Lee's in style if not shorter. He was wearing a dull green over jacket with a grey shirt underneath, his dark jeans tucked into large boots. Wrinkled hands flew up as he surrendered, his eyes staring straight at Lee instead of the gun; giving the latter a sense of uneasiness.

Nick followed after Lee as he exited the cabin, standing beside Lee with his rifle in his hands and a look of shock on his face. Lee kept staring at the elder man as Nick gasped. "Uncle Pete?"

"Nick?" Pete responded, shocked as well to discover his lost nephew. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!"

Nick practically flew off the porch he was standing on; his rifle dropped by Lee as Nick brought his uncle into an embrace. The action was returned just as heartedly as Pete smiled. "Jesus Nick, where did you go?"

"After we got separated, me and Luke ran into Carlos and Sarah. We've been trying to find you until..."

Nick paused, saddened by the reminder of Carlos' death, which made Pete frown. "What's happened?"

"Carlos is dead."

"Shit. And Sarah?"

"She's with Luke and Lee's friends but... they've disappeared. We can't find them anywhere!"

Pete's frown sunk even deeper. Moving away from Nick slight, he appeared deep in thought as he asked. "What do you mean, boy?"

"Everyone was here when me and Lee went to the river to fish. It was a trap, and we barely escaped to find everyone gone."

"There's been no sign of a break-in," Lee added from his position on the porch. "Lock's still intact, meaning that someone unlocked it from the inside."

"I guess you're Lee then?" Pete asked, suspicious of Lee. "How did you come across Nick and the rest?"

"I ran into your nephew and the others yesterday, after scavenging at this gas station. My friends have disappeared as well."

"I'm sorry for not exchanging pleasantries but at this moment in time we gotta get moving." Pete explained. "Sounds like Carver's found everyone. Bandits would have made a mess, walkers too. He must have been the one who set that alarm down by the river that you guys ran into."

"I knew it." Nick sighed, rubbing the back of his neck again. "What are we gonna do?"

"We're gonna get the hell outta here before Carver susses out you two aren't dead. His camp is west from here, and the tracks down that path tell me he had a truck waiting for everyone. We're best off going east until we hit the border to Georgia."

"We're just gonna leave them?" Lee snapped. "My friends are there! They're only been roped into this mess because of you people."

"You're the one who wanted to stay with us!" Nick growled, walking closer to Lee before he was stopped by Pete.

"Arguing ain't gonna help us here. Lee, I'm sorry 'bout your friends but there's nothing we can do to save them, save handling ourselves back to Carver."

"Then that's what I'm doing." Lee stated, walking down the steps of the porch quickly. He briskly moved forward to the forest that surrounded them, frowning heavily when Pete chided. "You're gonna get yourself killed! You find Carver, and then what?"

"I find my friends, and yours if you even cared about them."

"Luke was taken too, Uncle Pete." Nick added.

"I know that, boy. But this plan of Lee's, to just walk into the forest hoping to find Carver when he's in a truck? It's downright reckless."

"Fuck you, man." Lee swore, turning around to face Pete. "I don't give a goddamn about what you gotta say. If you wanna help me get our group back, then be my guest, but if you're just gonna run off then good riddance."

Not giving Pete a chance to reply, Lee just spun back around and carried on walking into the forest. He heard Nick calling after him, but tuned it out and instead focused on the background noise to distract him. It was quiet. Eerie. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as he glanced around him; taking in his surroundings. The feeling of the axe strapped to his back was forgotten up to this point, and then he remembered about the forgotten backpack in the cabin. He couldn't leave it behind; he wouldn't forgive himself for leaving his supplies and Clementine's hat.

Sighing to himself, he felt embarrassed as he turned around to return to the cabin. That was when he saw Nick and Pete running towards him, something slung over the older man's shoulder. Pausing in his movement, Lee was surprised as Nick and Pete came to a halt, the youngest of the three straightening himself out and stating. "You forgot your shit."

Pete removed the backpack from his shoulder and held it out towards Lee, not saying a word as he took the backpack with a mumbled thanks and then slinging it over his shoulder. Nick then continued. "I can't let you go and find our friends by yourself. Luke and Sarah are all we have left, so we're coming to help you."

"We owe Carlos that much." Pete grumbled, obviously not pleased with this plan.

Lee smiled slightly at this before asking. "So where are the tracks you saw?"

"Down this way. We follow the tracks, we find Carver and the others. There's no way we're gonna make it there before the truck reaches camp."

"Better get started then." Lee shrugged. Pete just scowled before walking to where he saw the tracks, Nick and Lee following after him silently. The quiet of the forest didn't seem as much with company, as the crunching of feet against vegetation and foliage served as an alternative to the absence of birds tweeting. The wind softly blew again; though Lee could feel the faint cold bite it possessed without his leather jacket. He thought back to when he gave it to Sarah to keep her warm, and how he allowed her to keep it until he got back. If this was Carver's doing, then Sarah must be so scared at that moment.

Pushing these thoughts away, he just settled on watching the trees loom above them greatly, the branches stretched out to cover some of the sunlight and preventing it from reaching the ground. The ground level of the forest was casted in shadows because of this, and Lee had to be careful he didn't trip over any raised roots from trees. Nick was silent beside Lee as well, though his face showed he was being plagued by dark thoughts. His limp was no better than the last time Lee noticed it, though this time he knew better than to point it out in front of Nick's uncle.

Pete had his back to them both, and so Lee couldn't see the man's face to see whether he was hit hard by this dilemma; though the way he handled before Lee could guess that he wasn't as emotional as Nick. Deep in his thought, Lee was caught off-guard when Pete spoke up. "The tracks are just in this clearing."

As those words was spoken, Lee could clearly see the trees retreat to reveal a wide path that could house a large vehicle. Looking in the direction of the cabin, Lee noticed the path leading up to the hidden building narrowed greatly; restricting any passage there with a vehicle. Whilst he was staring off in the distance, he didn't notice Pete walking towards two a set of tracks. "They've been here alright, and by the blood leading up to them I say someone's been hurt."

"Hurt?" Lee gasped. "What the fuck did they do to them?"

"We're gonna find out. I can figure out where the camp is when we're on the road, but that still doesn't solve how we're gonna make the distance. It'd take days on foot."

"We ain't got no other choice. Let's just get a move on." Lee grumbled, following the tracks up the wide path. In the distance was some sort of highway, but there was no way they would be able to reach it before nightfall. Nick followed after him and then Pete, who was just staring at the distance with a unclear expression on his worn face. "Well, better not waste anymore daylight."

The trio set off on the long journey to the highway, following the tracks like they were some sort of guide to their friends. The sun shone above them, with clouds gathering slowly; the pure white colour soon turning dull and grey that indicated to Lee that it was going to rain soon. The forest seemed endless on both sides with the path slowly dipping down the hill, revealing more of the immense journey they still had left.

The clouds blotted out the sun quickly enough, casting the entire landscape in a monotone colour. The wind began to pick up more, causing Lee and the other two to shiver when a rogue blast sent shivers up their spines. Lee really missed his jacket at that moment in time. Eventually, he glanced up at the highway in the distance and couldn't make out how much progress they made; as it looked like they made none. Groaning in frustration, he kicked a nearby pebble and leaned against a tree trunk for a moment.

His legs ached and his hand fared no better, the bandages dyed a slight red from the blood soaking into them. Pete and Nick stopped walking as well, and paused a moment to catch their breathes. The trio didn't utter a single word to each other as they collected what little energy they had. The forest was a cacophony of sounds; the birds resumed singing and the wind was howling loudly in their ears, even the distant growls of walkers didn't make the three jump up in fear. What Lee didn't anticipate on hearing was Pete whisper. "Over there."

Glancing in the direction Pete pointed out, Lee could clearly see something moving out of the fortress of trees, quickly followed by another figure. Lifting his rifle up, Lee peered at the two moving objects and raised his eyebrows in shock when he recognized what they were. They were horses.

"What would they be doing out here?" Nick asked, peering down his rifle scope too. "Are there any farm's around these parts?"

"There's farmland way up that way. Poor fellas must have escaped when the dead came and winded up here." Pete assumed, before flipping open his bag and taking out some curled rope he had. "They'd help a lot with making this distance."

"How you gonna catch a horse?" Lee asked, thrown off with his lack of horse-wrangling knowledge.

"Just approach them nice and slow, and don't do anything that's spook them. Can't afford to lose any of these horses."

Unsure about those instructions, Lee fell back and allowed Nick to take the lead; following the two slowly as they began to approach the horses. The bigger of the two sniffed at the ground, before noticing some grass growing from amongst the trampled dirt; grazing on that happily as the smaller horse appeared nervous. It had spotted the three men approaching them, but didn't make a bolt for the trees yet, instead just watching them cautiously. Taking this time to actually admire the horses, Lee noticed the beautiful coats they had. The bigger one was entirely black, with a flowing mane and tail to match, whilst the smaller one was chestnut with white patches over its body; somewhat reminding Lee of a cow.

Pete made a loop at the end of his rope with a tightening knot to lasso the animal, similar to the rope Nick had in his hands; his feet moving carefully to not make a lot of noise. Lee watched the other two trying to capture the horses, deciding to stay back when they reached a distance that could cause the horses to bolt at any time. The grazing horse also noticed the approaching men and reared its head, watching them with its beady eyes before giving a snort. Pete wasn't deterred by this and whispered to Nick. "I got the bigger one. You take care of shorty."

Nodding at this, Nick broke off from his uncle's side and neared the skittish horse. It noticed that Nick was getting closer than it felt comfortable and made a loud snort, jumping up on its hind legs slightly. Undeterred by this, Nick waited until Pete was in his target's area before attempting to put the rope around the horse's neck; though he had to quickly throw it on when the horse made a startled whinny and attempted to get away. The larger horse was distracted by its companions noises, allowing Pete to quickly slide the rope on and tighten it.

Both animals panicked with these actions and tried to flee from the trio, through the ropes on their necks made it difficult to do so. Lee saw this and quickly moved to Pete's side, grabbing the rope alongside the elder man to try and calm the animal down. The horse gave out a horse bellow and reared up to try and free itself from the bonds. The more skittish horse that Nick captured was panicking even more than its companion; trying to run off into the safety of the forest to try and escape Nick's hold. He managed to keep hold of the rope, and eventually the smaller horse tired itself. The large one was still fighting, but was soon too tired to fight off its attackers.

"That was a helluva task." Pete gasped, worn from trying to tame the horse. "But now we got a way to catch up with Carver."

"It's gonna be awkward with no saddles or reins." Nick pointed out, offering his horse an oat bar from his backpack. "I can share with Uncle Pete on that horse. Lee, you can ride on this one."

Lee eyed the horse with uncertainty. Nick noticed this look and glanced at the horse, before returning his gaze to Lee. "You do know how to ride, right?"

"I grew up in the city. I never even seen a horse in real life until I was fifteen."

"Well, now you're gonna ride one." Nick smirked, patting the horse's side as it chewed the oat bar it was given. Lee frowned at this, but if it meant he wouldn't have to walk anymore then he could learn to ride the horse quickly. Nick wasted no time in handing Lee over the rope, before walking over to Pete and the larger horse. The two quickly pulled themselves up onto the horse's back, which gave a disapproving snort, and quietly watched Lee as he stood there. Turning to his horse, he took a deep breath and sighed. "Here goes nothing."

Moving to its side, he finally took in just how big the horse was, and felt a bit awkward having to clamber on top without a saddle to help him. He was burning daylight though, and the sounds and rain falling told him that they would need to reach the highway before nightfall if they have any hope of tracking Carver. Bracing himself, he jumped up and pushed his hands down to brace himself, swinging his leg over the horse to properly saddle it. Straightening himself up, he glanced around and smiled when he realized he was riding a horse. "That wasn't too bad."

"You looked like a dying fish on land." Nick teased, receiving a glare from the Georgian man.

"We gotta get moving if we wanna reach the highway," Pete ordered, pulling the rope and guiding the horse down the pathway. "We're burning daylight."

Lee didn't respond to the order, and instead kicked his horse into action, the two following after Pete and Nick. Riding the horse was a new experience for Lee, and he couldn't help but notice how high up he to himself, he stared off at the distant highway and quickly the smile disappeared. Omid, Christa, Luke and Sarah were out there, and one of them were hurt. He silently pleaded for them to hold on, and felt a rush of determination to save his friends as they rode down the hill path.

He still wasn't sure how he was going to rescue them though.


	8. You Were All Dead

Lee didn't remember falling asleep. All that he could remember finding a lone house on the side of the road he, Pete and Nick were riding along. They checked for any walkers inside after tying their horses to the post outside. All that was found was the body of a old couple, long dead and most likely not having came back as walkers. Lee remembered Nick and Pete burying them in their backyard whilst he searched the house for supplies, finding nothing worth taking.

The cold was worse than before, and so they decided to rest there for the night. Lee took the single bed in the spare room while Nick and Pete bunked; recalling how exhausted he was when he rested his head on the pillow.

His eyes cracked open and he was greeted with nothing but darkness, the room he was in shrouded in shadows. The bed he was sleeping in felt harder, more stiff, than the bed he remembered lying down in. The room felt different too. Lee couldn't put his finger on it, but the room almost felt bigger, draftier, and yet just as cold. His eyes started to get used to the darkness and he could make out outlines of various objects in the room. There was a chest of drawers, and blinds covering the window. That was strange for Lee, as he could recall the window in the spare room being covered by curtains, not blinds.

"What the fuck..." He muttered, pushing himself up. Throwing the thin blanket off him, he swung his long legs off the side of the bed and sat there for a moment, staring at a large chair sitting in front of him. There wasn't a chair in the spare room neither. Where was he?

His foot brushed against his shoes that he left by the side of the bed. He leaned down to grab them, before slipping them onto his freezing feet quickly. With that done, he finally stood up and glanced at his surroundings. This was definitely not the room he fell asleep in, which caused nervousness to hit him in the gut as he briskly moved to the window to peer out. Some light dripped into the room when the blinds were moved to allow Lee to see out, the environment outside causing him even more confusion.

He could clearly see the outline of an RV in the middle of a courtyard, a lawn chair sitting on top of it. Someone seemed to be sitting in the chair, what appeared to be a rifle sitting in their hands. A fire was made down beside the RV, with a group of people sitting around it in chairs. Their bodies were shrouded in darkness with their backs to Lee. Slowly, he crept to the door and pulled the knob, opening the door and peering outside nervously. The ground before his door was scribbled liberally with chalk drawings, one particular drawing of an orange tiger in green grass standing out to Lee.

With the door fully open, Lee stood in the doorway for a moment, listening to the faint conversations floating between the people sitting by the campfire, the person sitting guard occasionally throwing a sentence or two into the fray. Finally, he plucked the courage and stepped outside, keeping his gaze on the group surrounding the campfire whilst he stalked towards them. Their conversation grew louder as he neared them, some voices striking as painfully familiar to Lee. One southern drawl made him pause for a moment, a look of shock on his face. It sounded just like Kenny.

No, Lee thought. Kenny's dead. This is just my head playing tricks.

Continuing his advance, Lee could pick out even more voices. A partically soft-spoken voice reminded him so much of Katjaa, the kind and intelligent woman that he survived with for months. The next voice to speak was from the person up on the RV, its feminine yet strong tone causing Lee to recall back to the first few days. The voice reminded him of Lily, and the snappy tone of the man by the campfire definitely reminding Lee of her father; Larry.

Feeling like he was going to go insane If he didn't put these suspicions to rest, Lee practically ran the rest of the distance and stood just behind two of the people sitting around the fire. The people he could see made him open his mouth in shock, the words he was going to say dying in his throat. It was his group. Kenny, Carley, Katjaa and Larry and all the others that made the group up.

Everyone stared at Lee with confusion on their faces. Kenny was the first one to speak up as he chuckled. "What's up, Lee? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Yeah, Lee." Carley added. "Did you sleep alright?"

"I-I..." Lee stammered, trying hard to push the words he wanted to say out his mouth. "I..."

"You look like shit, man." Kenny joked.

Lilly's voice could be heard from above Lee. "What's wrong? Did you see something?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Lee finally choked.

"You seem shaken, Lee." Katjaa smiled, offering Lee a chair beside her. Taking her offer, he slowly sat down with a look of suspicion on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I had a bad dream," he finally revealed. "All you guys died. Lilly snapped and stole the RV, Kenny and Ben got trapped in an alleyway and Clementine..."

The sudden thought of the young girl made him jump up with a panicked. "Clementine! Is she alright?!"

"Calm down, boy!" Larry scolded. "You're gonna cause the dead to jump on us!"

"She's fine." Carley calmed, though her face hinted that she was annoyed with Larry's scolding. "She's asleep in your room. How you didn't feel her moving about is beyond me, though."

The mention of Clementine being alive and well had a calming effect on Lee, causing him to sit back down into his chair. Kenny seemed disturbed by what Lee was babbling on about. "That's one fucked up dream."

"Tell me about it. It just seemed so real..." Lee muttered.

"Well, we're alive and Clem is safe so you can rest easy, buddy." He reassured, giving Lee a classic smile. Smiling back, Lee leaned back into his chair and took a deep breath. The feeling of tranquility set in quickly, and everything around him seemed peaceful, quiet, with everyone chattering away happily with each other whilst the children slept away in their rooms. These were the nights that Lee enjoyed, and the thought that everything that happened after this point was all just a dream seemed to convince him.

"Just rest now, Lee." A chorus of voices whispered in his ears. "You've been through so much. You deserve to be here with people you care about, everything else doesn't matter. Sleep now... _**and never wake up.**_ "

The fire flickered softly as it burned through the fuel given by the members of his group, the embers being spat out occasionally before floating off into the sky by the breeze. The dancing of the flames seemed to entrance Lee, his vision focusing solely on the enticement of the fire as it burned quietly. Suddenly, the flames grew wild and roared loudly in his ears, the sudden change seemingly shocking Lee back into paying attention to his surroundings.

Looking around, terror flows in his veins when he sees the monstrosities in front of him. Instead of the people surrounding him before, all that remained where disfigured husks of his former friends. Kenny and Ben looked like they were torn apart by multiple monsters, guts falling out of Kenny's shirt and Ben's neck gouged open forcefully with teeth marks littering their faces and bodies. Carley's skin was decayed terribly, blood pouring out of a wound to her cheek and dripping onto the concrete below her. Her eyes blankly stared at Lee with a look that resembled the dead. Larry's appearance made Lee feel sick, his head completely crushed above his jawline, his tongue sticking out from the mess.

Glancing around frantically, Lee jumped to his feet when he spotted Katjaa next to him. Her golden hair was caked with blood, which continued to drip down the side of her head and onto her jacket, which was stained liberally with blood. Her eyes were glazed over just like everyone else's as she stared up at the growingly-frightened man.

Nearly tripping over his chair, Lee backed away from the deceased group as they all stared at him, their voices deep growls as they hissed at him.

 **Why didn't you save us, Lee?** They wailed, standing up whilst still staring at him.

 **You should have helped me get Ben up.** Kenny growled. **We could have escaped if you didn't just stand there.**

 **Why didn't you stop Lilly from shooting me, Lee?** Carley joined in. **You were right there beside her. You could have done something.**

 **You helped save me... yet you failed.** Larry gurgled.

 **You didn't shoot the walker in time, and got my son bitten.** Katjaa cried. **Our deaths are on your hands.**

 **You went first onto the rooftops back in Savannah,** Ben accused. **I fell to my death because you didn't let me go first.**

Lee backed away from the advancing monsters, his eyes brimming with tears as he saw Lilly staring down at him from on top of the RV. Her face seemed ghostly white, and her eyes were dark and hollow like her soul. Her voice was distorted as she snapped. **All our deaths are your fault, Lee. You were meant to protect us... You FAILED.**

"I'm sorry!" Lee yelled out, moving away from the RV towards his bedroom door. "It is, it's all my fault! If I-I could do things differently-!"

 **You can't. You will always remember our deaths, how we cried and pleaded and were still cut down. You will remember our faces. The fact that you were too weak to protect your people... and that little girl.**

A hand brushed against the back of Lee's shirt, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. Spinning around, he couldn't stop the scream of horror coming from his mouth as he laid eyes on the person behind him, eyes widening with tears finally falling down his face. Clementine stood there with disgust written over her decaying face. Her hat was missing and exposed dull and blood-soaked hair that was once curly and full of life just like the young girl, with a bullet shaped hole sitting in the middle of her forehead and blood pouring down her face before dripping onto the concrete below her. Her picture of a tiger was ruined with the fresh blood, the chalk becoming runny with the added liquid. Her hoodie was dirty and covered in dried, discoloured blood, similar to when he covered her in walker guts to escape the Marsh House.

 **You left the walkie talkie on the table back at the house.** She snarled, her voice cold and piercing to Lee. **You left me alone to wander away with that man. If you kept better watch on me, like you said you would, then I wouldn't have gotten bitten. It's all your fault, Lee. How could a pathetic man who murdered someone possibly raise a child?**

"I..." Lee was lost for words. He couldn't defend himself from the harsh words spoken by the young girl, helpless as it cut deep into his soul. The lack of a defense seemed to disgust Clementine further, who just chuckled cooly and sighed. **I thought so... You're not worth anything. Everyone will eventually die if they stay with you. Just like us.**

Voices started chanting that last sentence as Lee fruitlessly tried to block the noise out, collapsing to his knees as he called out for them to stop, to stop hurting him like this. He could feel the gut-twisting realization that everything they were cutting him with was true. Everyone he loved died because of him, and everyone that stayed with him would end up dead. He remembered Christa, Omid and Nick and Sarah and everyone else that he met so far.

 **I trusted you.** Sofia's voice suddenly called out, it full of sadness and pain. **I died trusting you. What a fool I was...**

The world around Lee melted away, the colours morphing together like paint and dripping down into the abyss below him. Unable to move due to the sheer weight on his shoulders, Lee just sat there as all the ghosts from his past continued to chide him. He made no attempt to prove them wrong, that he couldn't have possibly known what would have happened to them at that time, but he made no noise as he hopelessly sat there. Eventually the noises faded into the background as a new voice replaced them; this one gruff and oddly familiar.

"Lee!" It called out. "Wake up!"

He could feel himself being jerked from side to side, the surroundings brightening up harshly as he felt himself being pulled from this nightmare. His eyes fluttered open and were immediately greeted with Pete's worried face, Nick beside him with a flashlight. Glancing around, Lee could see that he was back in the small spare room that he fell asleep in, the window showing the dark world outside the house and allowing the distant sound of the horses neighing into the room. Rubbing his eyes with the back of his arm, Lee just a deep breath and yawned.

"We heard you yelling from the other room." Nick finally revealed, lowering the flashlight so it wasn't shining in Lee's face. "We ran in here and saw you lashing out in your sleep."

"We're lucky you didn't attract any lurkers." Pete added, his voice returning to its cool, gruff tone. "You alright?"

"Yeah, yeah." Lee lied. He laid back down and turned his body so his back were to the two men in his room. Staring out of the window, he couldn't help but feel the devastating sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Just a bad dream."


	9. A Familiar Face

Lee stared up at the grey sky as he rode down the highway calmly. The clouds covered every inch of the sky, blocking out the sun and drowning the landscape in a dull cloak. The trees lining the highway on each side stretched as far as the eye could see, blocking any houses or buildings in its thick vegetation, including the cabin that the group had taken shelter in just a few days ago. The tops of the trees swayed in the harsh gust of wind, resembling the rolling of waves on the ocean surface; loose leaves blowing off the branches and being carried off into the sky.

The cars littering the highway were all long abandoned, as well as having been visibly stripped of anything useful. A particular truck was overturned with the windows smashed completely, the glass glistening on the concrete road as Lee, Nick and Pete rode past it. The driver was still sprawled over the ground, the blood leaking from its damaged skull dried up, showing that the man probably didn't come back as a walker. The overturned carriage connected to the destroyed cabin contained what looked like gas, the black liquid staining the concrete a disgusting dark colour.

"Careful with that gas," Pete ordered, reining his horse and guiding it around the liquid. "Don't wanna get your horse's feet covered in that shit."

"You think it still good?" Lee asked, following Pete's lead.

"I don't have a clue. I only know that gas can go bad after a couple of months, and that's with storage. This stuff's been sitting here for a while."

"How can you tell if it's bad?" Lee questioned, eyeballing the questionable liquid.

"It turns a darker colour, and it smell something bad too. Though, I wouldn't recommend you go and sniff that gas."

"I'm good."

Pete turned to glance at the dead driver as he rode away, his face showing a tinge of sympathy for the poor man. "Poor bastard. What a way to go."

"It could be worse." Lee mumbled. "He coulda came back as a walker."

"Yeah." Nick mused, staring at the corpse for only a few seconds before turning his attention to where Pete was riding. Lee rode behind the other two, glancing at the scene one last time before following after them; face sympathetic towards the saddening sight. Leaving it behind him however, he carried on down the highway after Pete and Nick. The clopping of hooves on pavement replaced the sound of conversation, accompanied only by the howling of the wind in Lee's ears. The horse he was riding gave a short snort, pausing in its walking for a moment as it glanced around nervously. Lee responded to this with a reassuring pat to the neck, which seemingly had a calming effect on the horse and allowed him to spur it back into movement. Pete noticed the stop and pulled his horse to a halt, watching Lee as he convinces his horse to continue.

"You're getting better at riding, considering you're a city boy." He praised.

"Yeah," Lee agreed. "It's not as hard as I thought."

"Seems like your one is taking a likin' to you." Nick noticed, staring at Lee's horse walking behind them. Lee too looked down at the horse and smiled softly, finding himself enjoying riding it far more than he thought he would. Pete kept his eyes on the road ahead of them as he kicked his horse into motion, trotting down the highway with Lee in tow as he continued the conversation.

"So, where you from?" He asked.

Lee just stared at his back silently, frowning at the questioned before he answered. "Macon."

"Down in Georgia?" Nick questioned, whistling as Lee nodded. "That's a bit far from home."

"You meet your friends down there?"

"Not Christa and Omid. I met them on my way to Savannah, but my old group in the first few days of this." Lee explained.

"Savannah? What you doing heading there?" Pete continued his questioning.

"My friend, Kenny, was looking for a boat. We were hoping to get out on the water, but things happened and the boat we found was stolen."

"Damn," Nick muttered. "That's some luck."

"Ain't it just. Everything got so fucked up, and before I knew it... Christa, Omid and I were the only ones left."

"Dead get them?" Pete questioned, turning his head to glance at Lee.

Pausing for a moment, Lee shook his head. "No. The livin' did."

"Well, I'm sorry for your lost." Pete apologized, before turning his back to Lee and riding in silence. Nick too turned his back, but his face whilst doing so looked guilty, most likely from him killing Sofia back in the forest. Lee fell silent as well, instead watching his surroundings as his horse followed its companion without his guidance. The wind began picking up, sending chills through his body as he shivered, one of his arms releasing the rope and rubbing his other arm in an attempt to get warm. Over the howling of the wind, he could hear Pete talking. "You heading north and you ain't even got a jacket to keep you warm?"

"I had one," Lee snapped, taking a defensive tone as he continued. "Sarah has it."

"I thought she already had one?" Pete frowned, turning to Nick rather than Lee.

"It was gone when we found her." Nick defended himself, glaring at his uncle for the accusing tone.

"Goddammit Nick, how the fuck could she lose a jacket? I thought you and the others were watching her?"

"We got in a fight with bandits when we were holding up in a gas station. Sarah ran into the forest and Carlos went after her." Nick growled, looking like he was quickly losing his temper.

Pete sighed and shook his head. "Did you go after them?"

"No, I just left them in the forest alone!" Nick replied sarcastically; something Pete didn't take kindly to as he chided. "I get separated from you guys for a few days and shit already went down."

"Come on, now." Lee jumped in. "That isn't fully Nick's fault. I had my fair share of bandits too, and they're a tricky bunch of bastards. I found Sarah and she was safe, but it was too late for Carlos. We just gotta move forward, no sense in tearing into each other over it."

Pete stared at Lee for a moment before staring forward, silently ending the conversation as Nick too stared ahead. Lee sighed quietly to himself, watching the cars past the trio slowly as they continued down the highway. The silence was starting to get eerie after a few minutes, and was definitely getting to the horses if not the riders. Lee's horse seemed nervous about something, giving a whinny as it stopped; trying to back up as Lee attempted to spur it back forward. Confused on why it was suddenly acting like that, he glanced around the maze of cars for any hidden dangers, unable to spot anything as Pete once again pulled to a stop.

"At this rate, we're never gonna get off this highway before ni-"

Suddenly, the horse he and Nick were riding reared up on its back legs, giving out a strong bellow of fear. Both of the men were unprepared for this and tumbled off the beast, Nick grunting as he landed on the pavement with a hard thump, his head smacking off the solid tarmac and stunning him. Pete landed at the side of the horse and cried out in pain as his knee slammed into the ground, clutching it in agony as he was paralyzed. This sudden noise cause Lee's horse to panic and attempt to gallop down the road, its rider barely keeping balance on top of it.

Holding onto its neck and rope for dear life, Lee finally saw what spooked the horses; a group of a dozen walkers or even more, all of them feasting on corpses of people who apparently died in a car crash. The noises from the horses and their riders talking caught their attention, and they clambered towards them with loud growls of hunger. Lee tried guiding the horse away from the approaching group, but was only rewarded with the horse rearing up as walkers lunge towards it. The action threw Lee off its back, causing him to land on the tarmac hard, his vision blurring terribly as the sound of his horse being eaten alive pounded in his ears; accompanied by piercing ringing.

Lying there stunned, he was helpless as a couple of walkers smelled him and made their way towards him, the rest enjoying the horse they just killed. Glancing around, he could barely make out a blurred figure running towards him, killing the closest walker with a machete to the head. The corpse fell in front of Lee, staring at him with its dead eyes before he felt himself being pulled up. He felt panic run through him as he tried to fight the person off, his vision clearing up as he yelled. "Get the fuck off me!"

"Lee!" The person yelled, their voice distorted from Lee's head injury. "Lee, it's me! It's me!"

Pushing them off him, he stumbled back as the person was attacked by the other walker that was going to attack Lee. They screamed in fear before a gunshot brought the walker down to the ground in a pool of its discoloured blood. Turning in the direction of the gunshot, Lee saw Nick standing there clutching his rifle, the side of his face and shoulder stained in blood that dripped from the gash on his forehead. Pete was standing against his nephew, staring at the stranger that helped Lee with a cautious glare. Following his gaze, Lee stared at the mysterious person in front of him, unable to figure out their identity due to the hood casting their face in shadows, the lower part of their face covered by a bandana.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked, suspicious of their presence. The person didn't reply to that and instead looked over their shoulder to the walkers feasting on the dead horse, the sound of the gunshot bringing their attention to the four of them instead of the available food.

"Run!" They ordered, helping Nick with his uncle as they moved to the side of the highway and into the forest. Lee glanced at the approaching walkers and grimaced at the sight of his horse, before fleeing into the forest after his companions. His head pounded terribly as they ran through the thick vegetation of the forest, his legs working hard to keep him upright and ensuring he doesn't tumble into the dirt. The trio in front of him were moving fast considering Pete's leg injury, the stranger constantly glancing behind them to look for any walkers that were still after them.

They kept running through the unknown forest, watching out for any walkers that could spring up on them from behind the trees, before they slowed down to a stop. Lee's legs wobbled as he stumbled forward, correcting himself as he clutched his head in pain, groaning quietly to himself as the others paused for a rest. The sound of Pete hissing in agony brought Lee's attention to the group as he straightened himself, seeing Pete having sat at the base of a tree with his knee propped up by the stranger. Nick had his backpack off his shoulders and by his feet, rummaging through it for any medical supplies he put in there. Lee remembered the first aid kit he still had in his backpack and slung it off his shoulder, flipping the top open and grabbing the first aid kit that was lying at top.

"Nick." He called out, tossing the kit to the younger man. Nick caught it and turned his attention to Pete, moving towards him when the stranger stopped him.

"I got some bandages with me. Best you use that stuff for your head before it gets infected."

"Uncle Pete needs it more than m-"

"Nick." Pete interrupted forcibly, gritting his teeth in pain as he turned his sight back to his damaged knee. Nick just stood there holding the kit, before shaking his head angrily and moving away to treat himself, being watched by Lee as he himself looked through his bag again for anything else. Surprisingly, he spotted the second kit that Sofia gave to him back at the gas station, grabbing that to treat his own head wound. Feeling his head, he winced when he reached around the back, removing his fingers to discover them covered in his blood.

"Fuck." He swore, before making himself comfortable as possible on the ground. Opening the second kit, he frowned when he saw only bandages and a needle left in it. It was obviously used before all this happened, but at least he had clean bandages to wrap his head in. Taking them out of the kit, he began the procedure of wrapping them around his wound on his head, taking care not to pull them too tight. He watched the stranger wrap Pete's leg with their own bandages as he treated himself, before he finished his task and placed the kit back in his backpack.

Glancing over at Nick, Lee noticed his dabbing his wound with a cloth that was doused in disinfectant, his face betraying how painful it must have been. Lee recalled his own encounter back at the cabin, when he had to treat his hand, and glanced down at the bandaged limb. He looked back up in time to see the stranger walking towards him, the grown man jumping to his feet and moved to attack if anything went down. The person stopped their walking and stared at Lee, causing him to feel uneasy at the gesture, before they just crossed their arms. "Not even a thanks for saving your life? That wasn't even the first time, Lee."

"Who are you?" He threatened. "How do you know my name?"

The person paused for a moment, contemplating what they should do, and decided to pull their bandana down so it rested around their neck, before lowering their hood to reveal their identity to him. Lee stared in shock at the person before him, his eyes widening and his mouth hung as he tried to find the words to say, only to come up speechless. The person seemed unnerved by his constant staring as they spoke up. "I know it must be a shock."

"You have some nerve being here after the shit you pulled." Lee scolded, glaring at them. "Just leave us alone, Lilly."

"Lee." She tried to defend herself. "I was defending all of us!"

"Lee, you know her?" Nick asked, standing up too as Pete watched from his spot at the tree. Lee just glared at Lilly as she stared at the ground, seemingly uneased with his harsh gaze.

"Yeah." He growled. "She killed someone in our group and then stole our RV, leaving us stranded!"

Nick seemed shocked by this, before his expression turned to suspicion and anger at Lilly, who was ashamed of her past actions as she stared up at Lee. "She couldn't be trusted. She knew what she was doing, she was-"

"It was Ben." He revealed, watching Lilly scowl at the mention of the teenager.

"I knew it. I should have killed him then and there too. How could Carley-?"

"She was defending a kid. You were terrifying him, Lilly, and Carley was being the type of her person she was, someone who won't sit back and let someone else bully a defenseless teenager. She had nothing to do with the drugs, Ben told me on the train we fixed, and you still killed her."

"I..." Lilly trailed off, unable to defend herself against the truth in Lee's words.

"Exactly. Ben said that the bandits had his friends, and when he found out they didn't it was too late. He kept doing it to protect all of us. Sound familiar?"

"I didn't know what I was doing. I just cracked, Lee. Please, I didn't mean to take it that fa-!"

"Stop. I don't care about what you have to say. I stood by you Lilly, helped try to revive Larry, I didn't abandon you even after you killed Carley and how did you repay me?! You stole our RV! You left us with nothing!" Lee snapped, his anger bubbling over as he recalled that night of Lilly's betrayal.

"I felt so bad for leaving you and Clementine. You said that you would leave with me, but I was afraid you would rat me out to Kenny. I couldn't take that chance, I had to get outta there." Lilly explained. "When I saw you on the highway, I figured I would be the last person you'd wanna see and thought about going back into the forest. Then you got attacked and I couldn't bring myself to leave you, not again."

"I'm touched." Lee replied sarcastically, before moving past Lilly to Nick and Pete. "Come on guys. We're moving out."

"Give me a second." Pete groaned, wincing as he pushed himself off the ground with the aid of Nick. Lilly turned around and watched Lee walk away from her, the other two glancing at her before they began to follow him. She walked forward slightly to follow them as she called out.

"Lee! Lee, come on! You can't just walk off into the forest whilst you're hurt!"

"Why do you care?!" He replied, still walking away. "Just do me a favour and run away again! Seems the only thing you can do anymore!"

"I have a group!" She called out. "Up in the lodge not far from here, and we have food and supplies to help all of you!"

Nick and Pete stopped at this, leaving only Lee walking away from them until he noticed their hesitation. Slowing to a halt, he stared at his companions with an annoyed expression. Realizing their reason of hesitation, he turned to the trio and growled. "You guys can't be serious."

"We're injured, low on supplies and without the horses we're back to walking on foot. I don't know how long I can go with my knee." Pete reasoned, his gruff voice concealing the desperation of their situation. "I don't care what happened between you two. That's a thing of the past, and didn't you say that we should all move forward before?"

"This is different." The response made Pete frown deeply, though he wasn't able to reply when Lee interrupted him again. "Don't give me that fucking look. You have no idea what happened after she abandoned us, all the things I lost..."

"Don't you think I lost people too? I don't have anything left." Lilly chided, looking upset at the thought of her father.

"Your dad was an asshole."

"To you, because he knew what you were and he was protecting me. Everything he did, how he acted, it was all to protect me because he only had me. You were the same with Clementine, so why are you acting all high and mighty whilst he was the devil?"

"I wasn't an asshole to everyone. I was to those who threatened Clem or my group, but to others and even my group, I was civil. Larry wasn't."

"Maybe he needed to know how to be civil, yeah, but even so you still tried to save him back at the St. John's. Even when Kenny said he was dead. Why?"

"That was more for you than him. I thought you were a decent person, Lilly, that you were just given a shitty hand and was trying your best for the group. I didn't wanna kill someone that meant so much to you even if he was an asshole, and he was still a member of the group. We looked out for each other, or we at least did until you killed Carley."

"If I could change what I did, I would. I'm sorry for abandoning you and Clem and everyone else, but can't you see that I'm trying to make up for it now?"

"Too little too late." Lee growled, ending the conversation as he stared at his companions. They refused to move however, which caused him to scowl angrily. "We are not going with her."

"We're not letting you drag us down because of some fucking grudge." Nick snapped. "Uncle Pete needs medical attention, his leg is fucked. I'm not doing so hot either, and I don't see you able to go running off into the forest yourself."

"Lee." Lilly joined in. "Please, let me help you this time."

Bombarded by all three of them, Lee glared at them for suggesting such a thing, that he accepted help from someone who fucked him over after he was a friend to her. He felt betrayed by them, but he finally accepted the fact that he wasn't in the best shape to go off on his own, as well as then having no one to lead him to his friends. Glancing at the ground, he closed his eyes as his head ached and sighed. "Fine."

Lilly looked relieved with his answer as she turned to Pete. "We need to get back on the highway. If we go that way for a while and then go back on it, then we should dodge the walkers from before."

"Sounds like a plan." He nodded, groaning as he began to walk. "I could do with that horse right about now though."

"It's not a far walk once we're on the highway." Lilly pointed out. Pete just sighed at that and walked behind her with Nick helping him, glancing at Lee as he followed after them and silently gesturing to Lilly, telling him that he should probably talk to her. Frowning deeply at that, he scowled at the old man and ignored his advice, walking behind them all and as far away from Lilly as possible. She noticed this, and seemed saddened by the turn of events, but she kept a strong face and walked with a strong walk she had months ago.

Glancing around his surroundings, Lee kept a look out for walkers as they made their way alongside the highway, hidden from the view of walkers by the thick coverage of trees. e of trees. The pitter patter of rain hitting the ground reached Lee's ears, and soon he could feel the rain hitting him as it fell from the darkened skies, soaking his blue shirt thoroughly. Groaning to himself, he wrapped his arms around himself and shivered, teeth chattering as he looked at his companions; who were all affected by the cold themselves. The sense of despair filled Lee quickly, but he pushed it down as far as he could with the determination to get to the lodge, the thought of food and warmth appealing enough that he could forget Lilly was there.

He could make it, he had to for his friends' sakes.


	10. The Ski Lodge

_**A/N - Because of the numerous reviews asking about Kenny, I'm just gonna put you all outta your misery now. Kenny is not coming back, and yes Lilly has replaced Kenny but not his role in the actual Season 2 because tbh I don't even know what his point in the story was. Someone in the reviews did make a good point that Kenny could comfort Lee and actually be the only character thus far who understands what Lee is going through, due to him losing Duck. However, that is not a big enough reason to bring back a main and well-liked character like Kenny and destroy all of his characterization that Season 1 gave him. His arc is done, and it was done well, so I'm not going to destroy that arc just for one good point.**_

 _ **Now that this question is answered, enjoy this chapter.**_

Rain pelted down against the solid tarmac of the highway, washing away the fresh blood that was spilt during that day. The clouds that the rain drops fell from darkened from the light grey they were only a few hours ago, blocking more of the sunlight than before as well. The trees bent to the mercy of the powerful blasts of wind, more and more of the dying leaves being pulled off the branches and carried off into the distant sky. The deafening noise of rain pouring down was loud in Lee's ears, accompanied by the howling of the frosty winter wind, which blew through the entire group and sent chills up their spines. His shirt was soaked through and stuck to his skin disgustingly, his arms tucked close to his body in a desperate attempt to preserve whatever heat he had left.

Teeth chattering, Lee glanced at his companions and saw they were faring no better. Nick could barely hold his rifle steadily as his hand shook immensely, his head bowed with his cap protecting most of his face was the harsh gusts of wind, and his grip on Pete loosened with exhaustion setting in. Pete too seemed on the brink of collapsing as he shuffled along with Nick aiding him, his face pale and dampened by the constant shower of rain hitting him, as well as his leg starting to wobble when walked on. Both looked like drowned rats; clothes completely soaked through by the assault of rain. Lilly was faring better than the three men, but Lee could see that even she was slowing down a bit, her slumped shoulders signaling that she was too reaching the climax of her stamina.

They all needed a break, but they were in the middle of a highway surrounded by unknown forest, and the danger of being attacked by walkers or worse was just too much of a risk for them. Squinting ahead at Lilly, Lee decided to call out. "Lilly! Are we almost there?"

"Almost..." Her faint voice replied, clearly showing her exhaustion. "We reach that bridge ahead and then follow the road. That's where the lodge is."

Looking past her, Lee grimaced at the sight of the distant bridge, the aching of his legs becoming more apparent at the thought of the distance between them and the waypoint. "It's too far. We need a break, gather some of our strength back!"

"We're all gonna get the flu staying out in this rain." Lilly snapped, her patience wearing thin.

"We're all gonna die from exhaustion if we don't stop!" Lee shot back, raising his voice more to be heard over the heavy rainfall. Lilly ignored him and carried on walking, causing Lee to glare angrily at her back and growl under his breath. He didn't know why he was going through with this, but he had little choice considering Pete and Nick were going to go with her regardless of his choice.

Pete and Nick too seemed desperate for a stop, but they also were determined to get to the lodge and out of the rain as quickly as possible. Pete growled in pain and yelled. "Stop! I need a minute."

Lilly slowed her walking to a halt and turned to face the older man, moving towards him just when Lee reached him, Nick staring at his uncle with a worried expression when he asked. "You alright?"

"No, my leg is busted." He snapped, his voice laced with pain before he closed his eyes tightly. "Damn. I don't think I can keep going."

"You're gonna get sicker if you stay out here, and night is gonna fall soon. We'll be sitting ducks for any walkers around here." Lilly explained, more desperate to reach the safety of her group than annoyed at Pete's injury slowing them down. "You gotta keep moving. We ain't got no choice."

"He said give him a fucking minute!" Nick hissed. Lilly didn't react positively to this tone used on her, as she glared at Nick and replied. "Don't use that fucking tone on me. I risked my ass helping you two, and now I'm risking my group bringing you guys back. So try to be fucking grateful."

"You're the last person right now that I'm grateful to," Lee chided. "We're exhausted, Lilly. You're pushing us too hard."

"Stop bringing up what I did. I'm sorry, alright? I hate myself for what I did to you and the others, but I'm trying my best without you cutting me down for it." She frowned, before turning around and continuing her journey to the bridge. "We can't stop. Let's move out."

Pete sighed silently at this but carried on nonetheless, ignoring his nephew quickly asking him if he was alright. Nick glanced at Lee as they followed after the grown woman, his face visible to Lee and made him feel sympathetic to the youngest of the three. His eyes were framed by dark circles, suggesting that he really wasn't getting much sleep; his eyes red and bloodshot as well. All in all, he looked just as exhausted as Lee felt.

Shivering, they continued down the highway as fast as they could manage, all eager to get out of the winter rain and into the warmth of the lodge. Their feet squelched against the wet tarmac, Lee himself stepping into a deep puddle; groaning loudly as he pulled out his leg to see his pant leg was soaked through. Shaking his leg in an attempt to get rid of some of the water, he carried on following the rest of his group. The rain supposedly had the same effect of melancholy on the walkers, as the few that the group came across were slow and sluggish, though the smell of the living wasn't washed away like the smell of death.

A particular walker laid still off to the group's side, and only sprung to life when they reached a certain proximity to it. The use of its legs were long lost, and yet it was still determined to make a meal out of Lilly as it dragged itself using its decaying arms, loud growls and snarls signaling its hunger. Clouded eyes stared up at her, yellowed teeth bared as the undead gnashed its jaws at its target, only to be met with a swift slice of the machete Lilly removed from her waist. Removing the blade from its skull, she shook it to rid of some of the blood before returning the weapon back to its sheath.

"Keep your eyes out, Lee." She ordered, carrying on walking as she did so. Nodding at that, he glanced around, keeping an eye out for any dangers as the group carried on their journey to the bridge. Slowly, the distance between them and their waypoint shortened, the bridge growing bigger and bigger as they neared it.

Still on guard, Lee spotted a couple of walkers that had been ran over by a car, the vehicle too abandoned by its owners. Moving closer to it, he was careful when the arms of the walkers started waving at him, hands grasping at thin air trying to grab him. Unstrapping the fire axe that was secured on his back, he lifted it over his head and then down with a growl, slicing off the head off one of the walkers, the decapitated head rolling away a short distance before stopping; pouring blood out of the stump and staining the highway tarmac.

Its companion gave out one last growl before it too shared the same fate, its head rolling away as Lee lifted his axe up with a grunt. Peering in through the car window, he glanced around the bottom of the seats and the boot to check for anything useful, hearing Pete's voice calling. "You ain't gonna find anything useful. This area's been stripped clean by Carver's men."

"They really got everything?" Lee asked.

"Everything. Nothing left out here except lurkers."

Disappointed by this, he glanced at the car one last time before moving on towards the others, all of them walking once more. Eventually, they reached the entrance to the bridge, the trees closing in on them before halting suddenly before a cliff, the sheer drop into the roaring river below made Lee's stomach churn. The bridge was imposing when close up to it, nothing like the puny sight it was before, with its metal frame creaking in the harsh wind. The path through the bridge led up a hill in the distance, on top of that hill was a ski lodge that Lilly must have been talking about, the sudden thought of a dry place to stay the night filled Lee with determination to finish the journey.

He moved to lead the group from that point on when Lilly held her arm out in front of him, stopping him in his track and causing him to glare at her, but he soon realized why she stopped him. A lone figure stood at the other end of the bridge, staring straight at them with a what looked like a crossbow in their hands.

"You guys stay here," she ordered, moving away from them as she added. "I'm gonna check this guy out."

Lee made no attempt to persuade Lilly back to them, and instead crouched down behind the trees that bordered the road, Pete and Nick too hiding from the man's sight. Effectively hidden, Lee strapped the axe on his back and instead removed the rifle, looking down its aim at the person Lilly was making her way to. He could see that the person was instead a man, but any details that would tell him exactly who the man was were hidden by the navy hoodie he was wearing. The weapon he was carrying was indeed a crossbow, pointed down at the floor even when Lilly neared him, showing that the man thought of her not as a threat.

"What can you see?" Nick asked, bringing his head around the trunk he was hiding behind.

"It's a guy," Lee pointed out, still staring down his sights. "He doesn't seem to be threatening. Be on your guard."

"I thought you said he wasn't threatening." Nick responded.

Lee didn't move his gaze as he finally replied. "Can't be too careful."

Finally, he saw Lilly reach the man on the other side, stopping in her tracks and apparently talking to the man peacefully. The man responded friendly, his weapon pointed at the floor at all times, before he glanced down to where Lee and the others were. As soon as he did that, Lilly turned too and gestured to Lee to come forward, seemingly unaffected by the stranger. Unsure about it, Lee lowered his rifle slightly and stood up, turning to Nick and Pete. "She wants us to come over. Be careful, if this guy tries anything we'll be ready."

Nick nodded at this, before helping Pete up to his feet once more, the older man groaning in pain before he mumbled. "What I'd give to get outta this rain."

"Almost there, Uncle Pete." Nick reassured. With the injured member in tow, Lee turned back around to the bridge and started to walk down it towards the other end where Lilly was waiting, the two figures just standing there staring at him. The soaking wood creaked and groaned when Lee and the others stepped on it, the thought of the gushing waters below momentarily popping into his mind before he pushed it away, the bridge was strong enough to hold him.

"You think we can trust this guy?" Pete asked, eyeing the man suspiciously.

"I don't know," Lee admitted, suspicious himself of the stranger. "Lilly seems to trust him, though I wouldn't go on just her word alone."

"I got your back if anything goes down." Nick added, glaring at the two people ahead. Lee just nodded at that, holding his rifle tightly as they neared the other end of the bridge. Slowing down, they moved to a halt when they reached Lilly's side, Lee keeping his gaze firmly on the guy. He was obviously of Asian descent, with dark facial hair faintly circling his mouth and hair hidden by the hood of his jacket. Overall, he had a friendly atmosphere around him, contrasting that of Lee's threatening posture and facial expression.

"This here's Matthew," Lilly explained. "Matt, this is Lee, Nick and Pete."

"Hiya." Pete greeted.

"Hey." Nick joined in.

Lee remained silent, still staring at Matthew with hardened eyes, though it had no effect on his friendly demeanor. With a smirk on his face, he lowered his crossbow fully and spoke. "Nice to meet you. I'll be honest when I saw you guys walking up here, I thought you were gonna be a bunch of assholes. But considering Lilly's with you, I guess I was wrong."

"Thanks... I guess." Nick mumbled, unsure how to respond to that.

"I gotta say, you guys look like shit." He continued, ignoring the heated glares from the tired trio. "Lilly explained what happened. You guys are free to stay in the lodge while you heal, we got food and some medicine you can use for those injuries."

"That's awful generous of you." Lee finally spoke up, eyeing Matthew up and down. "What's the catch?"

"No catch, man. Just wanting to help a fellow survivor out, plus you're a friend of Lilly so-"

"He's not my friend."

"I'm not her friend."

The two simultaneous corrections caused Matthew to just stare at them, reading Lee's angered expression and Lilly's guilty face, before he just shrugged. "Still, doesn't hurt to be kind in this situation."

"Sometimes it can." Lee pointed out.

"Look," Pete interrupted, earning a glare from Lee before he just shook his head. "We're grateful for the offer. Let's get a move on and get outta this rain."

"Yeah, it looks like a storm's coming soon." Lilly agreed, staring up at the darkening sky with a weary look. Matthew smiled and gestured for the four to follow him, Lilly staying by his side whilst the trio lagged behind them. By the bridge was a small station hut, Lee glancing through the window to see a bed and some reading material, but leaving it behind when seeing nothing of interest. Moving away from it, they all began their ascend up the steep hill leading to the huge ski lodge, a tower off to its side that could be used as a vantage point to see for miles around.

The wet grass proved difficult for Lee to get any traction on, his feet constantly slipping as he tried to make his way up the hill. He nearly fell over a few times, but managed to gather his balance every time he did. Glancing beside him, he could see that Nick and Pete were faring no better, both having just as much difficulty if not more with getting up the hill. Pete's leg was starting to be dragged at that moment, and his rapid breathing along with his pale skin warned Lee that Pete was getting sicker than he thought.

Moving to his other side, Lee wrapped the older man's arm around his shoulders and helped Nick pull the ill man up the rest of the way. "Come on, Pete. We're almost there."

"Hang on, Uncle Pete." Nick consoled, though his own state showed he was in no better shape. Eventually they reached the deck of the lodge, the wood making a noise as they stepped on it. The rain was pouring down harder then, and Matthew took this event as a sign to get Lee, Pete and Nick out of the rain before they all succumbed to hypothermia. Turning around, he gestured to the trio to follow him whilst saying. "The door's over here. Best get you guys outta this weather."

Desperate for relief from the constant battering of the cold weather, Lee helped Pete walk into the lodge after Lilly and Matthew, relishing in the warmth of the building compared to that of outside. Standing still, he stared in awe at the sheer size of the lodge, towering columns holding the roof up and were decorated with Christmas light spiraling around them. Walking up the stairs, he was amazed to see a fireplace with a couch in front of it, the fire already lit and roaring loudly; beckoning Lee towards to with the promise of warmth. Stairs behind the couch led up to a sitting area above the dining area, complete with long stretches of tables and bowls set out.

The smell of food hit Lee hard as he clutch his stomach in hunger, the sound of Matthew's voice mostly ignored as the signals that he was hungry distracted him. Suddenly, a quite chubby man appeared in front of the group with a large smile on his face, and in his hands a large pot of something cooking. His hair was grey and receding back, and if that didn't give away his advancing age than the wrinkles under his eyes certainly would, and yet those same eyes were filled with nothing but kindness; similar to those of Matthew.

"I didn't know we would have guests this evening." He smiled, before finding Lilly in the new faces. "Lilly! It's so good to see you again. How's your arm?"

"It's doing good, Walter." She replied. "Some people needed help, so I thought I'd bring them here. Is that alright?"

"Definitely, anyone is welcome here." He welcomed, placing the pot on a nearby table. "And you gentlemen are?"

"Pete," Pete revealed first. "This is my nephew, Nick."

"Heya." He greeted. Walter smiled at them in response, before he turned to Lee. "And what about you?"

"It's Lee."

"Well Lee, you can make yourself at home for as long as you like." Walter offered.

"Thanks, but no thanks." He ignored the heated glares from Pete and Nick. "We gotta get back on the road as soon as Pete's leg is feeling better."

"That might be some time, boy."

"You can take your uncle up those stairs, there's a couch up there for him to rest on." Matthew pointed out, moving to assist Nick in carrying Pete up the flight of stairs. Accepting the offer silently, Nick gave Lee one last look before walking away to the mentioned seating area. With the three gone, Lee turned back around to Walter and Lilly, glancing around as Walter spoke up.

"I'll put dinner on, make yourself at home." He offered, glancing at Lilly before grabbing the pot once more and taking it over to the kitchen area of the lodge. Watching him go, Lee moved to sit by the burning fire when he heard Lilly call out. "Hey, Lee? You got a second?"

"No." He simply stated, still walking away from her as she piped up again. "Please. I need to talk to you."

Finding no more energy in himself to argue, he just silently let her follow him as he made his way over to the couch. The feeling of the fire as he stepped in front of it was welcoming, his frozen limbs getting some of its feeling back and his clothes getting slightly dry, though it still stuck to his skin uncomfortably. His legs gave in as he sat down on the couch, the aching muscles finding difficulty relaxing after spending so long walking, causing him to grunt in discomfort as he rubbed the back of his calf tenderly. Lilly sat down awkwardly beside him, watching the fire as it lit up Lee's features, casting his cold skin in a bronze glow.

"What do you want, Lilly?" He finally asked, his voice as cold as the weather outside.

She remained silent for a moment, contemplating what she should say, before coming out with. "I'm sorry."

"That's it?"

"No, not really. I guess I just wanna know what you guys did after..."

"After you abandoned us." Lee's frosty bite made Lilly frown deeper.

"Yeah..." She mumbled. "After I abandoned you."

Lee leaned back into the couch, thinking back to the events after Lilly left. "He was bit, you know?"

"What?"

"Duck," he elaborated. "It happened during the raid. When the walker tackled Katjaa to the ground, and I barely saved them."

"Jesus." Lilly's voice was a harsh whisper.

"I put him down." Lee continued, his voice trying to hide the emotion. "After I had to beat Kenny into stopping the train. It was too much for him, you know? Losing his son like that, and then for Kat to go and..."

He paused for a moment, his thoughts fixed on the moment he found Katjaa's dead body with Kenny looming over her; the look of devastation on his friend's face. The pause caused Lilly to stiffen, before she found her voice to speak. "What happened?"

"She shot herself. Losing Duck was just too much for her to handle, and she couldn't cope."

"Kenny..." Lilly whispered, her voice betraying the sympathy she had for the Floridan man. The two sat in silence for a moment, before she muttered. "I saw Clementine wasn't with you. Is she...?"

Lee's face twisted into anger at that question, turning to Lilly with eyes filled with rage, and yet they quickly dampened into soulless depression. His voice died in his throat, and he had to fight back the emotions as he choked. "She died."

"Lee... I'm sorry, I had no idea-"

"Just leave it, Lilly." He interrupted her, before he turned his head away from her. "I wanna be alone."

She didn't reply for a while, instead just staring at Lee's back before she finally whispered. "Alright. I'll give you some space."

He heard her stand up, his back still to her, before she added. "Dinner should be ready soon."

Then she walked away, and Lee was left with emotions dug up that she spent so long burying.


	11. Between A Rock And A Hard Place

Lee jerked awake with a loud snort, his eyes unfocused as he took in a deep breath loudly and rubbed his face with his hand; feeling a bit of saliva being wiped from the corner of his mouth. Glancing around, he realized that he was still sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, all the cold he was experiencing before having been melted away from the blanket of heat from the fire. He couldn't even remember him falling asleep, though he was obviously more exhausted than he realized. That journey took a lot out of him.

Leaning forward sluggishly, he placed his head in his hands and waited for the haze of tiredness to lift off him, hearing Matthew speaking up cheerfully. "You're finally awake."

"How long have you been standing there?" Lee asked, adopting a more joking manner with the hooded man.

With a smirk on his face, Matthew shrugged and chuckled. "Long enough to see you drooling like a baby."

"Yeah," Lee laughed sheepishly, wiping his hand on his pants. "I didn't know how tired I was until I sat down."

"To be expected I suppose. That journey your friend's been telling me about isn't exactly a stroll."

"It wasn't easy." Lee sighed tiredly, shifting his eyes over to the landing above them. "How's Pete and Nick?"

"Pete came down with a fever and some hypothermia, so I kept him warm as best I could before Nick took over in caring for him." Matthew explained, taking in Lee's worried expression as he continued. "As for his leg... it's badly busted, the kneecap is fracture so badly that I can feel the bone through his skin, and the swelling is so bad from all the walking he had to do. I put it in a stint to at least ease the pain but that's the most I can do."

"Is he gonna recover?" Lee pressed. "I don't wanna leave before he's well enough, but we gotta keep moving."

Matthew was silent for a few moments, before he frowned deeply and shook his head. "Without proper medical treatment, I don't think there's much hope that Pete can walk again. If we were able to get him to a hospital, then there would have been a solid chance of him surviving, but in this situation and the other factors like the hypothermia and the fever..."

He stopped again, obviously concerned about Lee's saddened face, before he finally finished. "We keep an eye on him, but I don't know how much more his body can take."

"How do you know all of this?" He asked. "You a doctor?"

"I wish," Matthew smirked faintly. "I've gotten into accidents more times then I care to remember. There's some things that you can learn through your doctor yelling at you and medical books you find when out scavenging."

Lee just frowned deeply as Matthew's smirk died down, his eyes staring at the floor whilst the new information sat at the front of his mind. His worries turned from Pete's slim chances to Nick, the man still sitting upstairs with his injured uncle. "Does Nick know this?"

"I tried explaining to him, but he wouldn't listen." Matthew sighed. "He's set on making sure Pete recovers."

"I'll talk to him," Lee offered, standing up slowly and began to stretch. "He'll have to face the possibilities that Pete won't make it."

"Well, when you're done with that then come back down to the kitchen. Dinner should be ready."

"Will do." Lee nodded, before moving past Matthew and making his way to the flight of stairs. He paused, glancing up at the flickering source of light at the top of the stairs, before he quickly jogged up the steps. As he ascended the stairs, he could hear Nick and Pete talking, the latter's voice nothing but a harsh whisper. Pushing himself up the last couple of steps, Lee just stood there as he stared at the scene before him.

Pete was laying on the couch that Matthew mentioned when they entered the lodge, a worn blanket wrapped around him in an attempt to converse what little heat he had. Nick was sitting at the end of the couch, near Pete's feet, with a concerned look on his tired face. Lee moved towards them slowly, staring at Nick as he suggested. "You should get some sleep. You look like hammered shit."

"I'm fine." He muttered, just looking over at Pete silently as the older man coughed. "Listen to him, boy. I ain't going anywhere."

"I said I'm fine!" Nick snapped, obviously on the short end of his temper. The other two survivors just stared at each other, before Lee decided to just come out with what he came up to say. "I just talked to Matthew."

"He's wrong about Pete." Nick insisted, his voice growing more desperate. "A dodgy knee ain't gonna stop him, he's been through worse."

"Nick-"

"You tell him that!" He growled angrily, standing up threateningly when Lee didn't move away. "Why are you all so sure that he won't make it?!"

"You heard Matthew, son." Pete interrupted, staring at Nick with a stern look. "My kneecap's fucked. He can feel the broken bones through my damn skin, and it's swollen to hell. There's no hospital for me to go to anymore, and not much medicine that can help save lessening the pain. You gotta face facts, Nick."

Nick spun around and glared at his uncle, his voice a shrill shriek as he yelled. "Do you even hear yourself? We can't give up, Uncle Pete!"

"What do you wanna do then?" Lee snapped, gesturing loosely towards Pete. "Carry him for the rest of his damn life?"

"I'm not just giving up when we don't even know if his knee's as bad as they say!"

"As bad as they say? Listen to yourself, Nick!" Lee hissed. "He fell off a _horse!_ You can feel the fucking bones through the skin, and he can't even walk without our help now! What if we run outta medicine? You want him sitting there in constant pain?"

Nick seemed enraged by this. "What are you suggesting? Put him down like-like a dog?!"

"Your other option? Leaving him to suffer? That's no way to live, man!" Lee backfired, getting up in Nick's face just as Pete yelled. "I'm sitting right here, and I'll be damned if I let you two decide what happens to me!"

The two backed off each other, both turning to the injured survivor as he continued. "We see what happens. If my knee doesn't get better then... then you guys should just leave without me. I don't wanna put any of us in danger because of a stupid accident."

"What?!" Nick gasped, his face portraying the sheer shock of Pete's confession. "Uncle Pete, you can't be seri-!"

"Enough!" Pete interrupted, ending Nick's protest mid-sentence. "Enough. I've made my mind up. Nick, go downstairs and see how long dinner'll be. Lee and I need to talk."

Nick gave up arguing with the two, giving out an angered growl before moving over to the staircase, knocking into Lee as he did so. Taking the nudge in his stride, he appeared unaffected as the youngest of the trio left them alone. Lee just stood there silently, unnerved by Pete's stare, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "About what happened just then-"

"I don't appreciate you talking about what to do with me when I'm sitting right here, Lee." Pete chided. "But I know you're just looking out for the wellbeing of the group. You're right, I will just slow people down with my injury, but I won't accept you two putting me down like some unwanted mutt."

"It's not like that."

"Then let's just be straight here. I will choose when and how I die, not you or Nick or anyone." Pete explained strongly, before he glanced over to the staircase. "Lee, will you do an old man a favour?"

"What is it?" Lee asked.

"Look after Nick for me. He's a good boy, and he has a good heart in him somewhere, but his head gets in the way sometimes. Please, just make sure he doesn't do anything stupid when I am eventually gone."

"Sure, man." Lee accepted the offer, moving closer to Pete as he continued. "You alright? You look like you're gonna pass out on us."

"Nah..." Pete brushed off, wiping off a bead of sweat from his pale face. "It's just this pain, it's like my leg's on fire, but it's tingly too like it fell asleep."

"We could cut it off."

"Very funny, Lee."

"Who said I was joking?" The look on Pete's exhausted face made Lee shuffle on his feet, his eyes glancing over to the side as he mumbled. "Sorry, it was just a thought."

"A shit one." Pete grumbled, staring at his injured leg with a pained look. "Fuck, it hurts so bad."

"I'll go get Matthew, maybe he can give you some medicine." Lee suggested, walking off to the stairs as Pete just nodded, quickly moving down the steps whilst making sure he doesn't trip and fall. As he neared the bottom of the staircase, he stopped when Nick appeared in front of him, the latter making his way back to where Pete was resting.

Nick paused, glancing up at the landing at the top of the stairs. "Is he alright?"

"His leg's hurting him bad. I was just gonna find Matthew to see if he had some stronger medicine." Lee explained. Nick seemed distressed by this and quickly flew up the stairs, not paying attention to Lee as he passed him, and then disappeared out of sight. Lee just stood there for a moment, before he carried on with his task of finding Matthew. Recalling the conversation he had with Matt, Lee made his way over to the kitchen, moving around the long tables that reminded him of the dinner halls in his university.

The smell of food hit him like a train, causing his stomach to growl loudly in want, not even stemmed slightly when Lee placed his hand over it in a bid to control it. Walking to the open place stove, he saw Walter standing behind it, stirring whatever it was boiling away in the giant pot Lee remembered him carrying earlier on. Noticing the approaching man, Walter paused in his stirring and smiled. "Hello, Lee. You alright?"

"Not really," he mumbled, looking around for Matthew. "Where's Matthew?"

"I'm here," he suddenly revealed, popping up from behind Lee. "What's up?"

Lee jumped at the sudden voice, turning around quickly to face Matthew, before he managed to control himself. "It's Pete. His leg's getting worse."

"Damn. You managed to talk to Nick?"

"Yeah, and he ain't having it. He said he'll carry Pete if he has too, even if it risks our safety. Pete saw sense, though. He said that he would slow us down, but he'll decide when and how he... goes."

"It makes sense. He seems like the type of man who wants to have control regarding himself to the end."

"Yeah. Anyway, I was wondering if you had anything else that could help?"

Matthew rubbed his head in thought, before he clicked his fingers. "I do have some medicine that I was saving. It should help him with the pain, but the side effects are not particularly... nice."

"If it helps with the pain then I'm sure he can deal with the side effects." Lee brushed off. Matthew nodded in agreement to that, before he moved off to find the medicine, leaving Walter and Lee alone.

"It's a good thing Lilly found you guys when she did," Walter spoke up, continuing stirring the pot. "She told me about what happened on the highway, and how Pete broke his leg. It must have been frightening."

"I'm used to it." Lee shrugged, though he did admit that when he was stunned on the road with the walkers coming towards him, it was pretty terrifying.

Walter seemed skeptical about that, glancing up from his task as he hummed. "We all get scared sometimes, Lee. It's what separates us from those things."

"How did you meet Lilly?" Lee suddenly asked, changing the subject quickly.

"It wasn't actually me who found her, that was Matt. He came back here with her, knocked out and her arm badly mauled, and told me that he found her at the side of the road. He saved her." He explained, putting the spoon down and reaching for the salt shaker next to the stove. "She stayed here for a couple of weeks, let her arm heal, then she said she had to go out and find her group."

"She wasn't with you guys?"

"No, never met her before." Walter answered, before he looked over to the landing above the fireplace and couch. "That Nick fellow reminds me of a student of mine. Clever man, but was his temper something."

"You're a teacher?" Lee asked, his interest perked. "What in?"

"I taught English Literature. John Steinbeck, you heard of him?"

Lee frowned as he shook his head, causing Walter to just smile and laugh. "Well, I have one of his books that you can borrow. Great reading material, it can make the hours fly by. So, what did you do before all this?"

"I was a professor at the University of Georgia, counting on my sixth year. I taught History, though I enjoyed teaching Civil War." Lee explained, smiling to himself as he recalled his years teaching. "Most of the time my students had no idea what I was talking about."

"I know that feeling." Walter chuckled, tasting his cooking slowly. "Hmmm, do you wanna taste it?"

Glancing over the edge of the pot, Lee grimaced at the greyish sludge inside, some lumps in the goop. "What is it?"

"Peaches and beans." Walter laughed, noting Lee's disgusted expression as he smiled. "It's all we got."

"I'll just take your word on it." Lee rejected. Walter just shrugged nonchalantly as he carried on stirring, not looking at Lee as he continued his questioning. "So... how did you meet Lilly?"

Lee didn't answer the question as he stared at the pot, before he sighed. "I met her a couple of days after the plague. She was holed up in my family's pharmacy with other people."

"She wouldn't tell us about it." Walter explained, noting Lee's saddened expression. "I'm sorry if it brought up some rough feelings, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." Lee just brushed off, his body language suggesting to Walter that the subject was a very delicate one. "Let's just talk about something else."

"Well, you'll be pleased to know that dinner is ready." Walter smiled, removing the spoon from the pot as he walked to the side to grab some bowls. "Please, can you let your friends and Matt know?"

Lee nodded at this, before he walked away from the kitchen away in search for Matt and his companions. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lilly standing in the corner with something in her hand, but her body blocked the object from his view. He felt a ping of suspicion in his gut, but the hunger quickly overcame it and forced him to focus on his task at hand. Glancing at the woman again as he made his way to the staircase, he knew he had to do something.

He had to find out what Lilly was doing.


	12. No Other Choice

Lee stared down at the bowl of peaches and beans on the table in front of him. He didn't want to admit it, but despite the food looking like it belonged out of a Victorian Workhouse, the taste wasn't that bad. The other survivors around him tucked into their food quietly. Nick showed no interest in his food, and instead stirred the contents with a hazed look, obviously having other worries plaguing his mind. Lilly ate her food quietly, not looking at any of the others from her seat across from Lee. Walter was occupied with a book beside his bowl, lazily eating the contents of said bowl as he flipped through the pages, whilst his companion was absent from the table.

"What are you reading there, Walt?" Lilly asked, placing her spoon in the bowl. Pausing in his reading, he smiled and grabbed the object, lifting it up so that she could see it. Putting down his spoon as well, Lee turned and stared at the cover; worn from the amount of times that Walter had read it. The background was monotone, possibly having been set decades before, with the bright white lettering standing out immediately.

Of Mice & Men.

"It's my favourite book." Walter explained.

"Of Mice & Men? I never heard of it." Lee shrugged, scooping up another spoonful of peaches and beans before putting it in his mouth.

"It's set in the Great Depression of America during the 30s. Two men are travelling the country looking for work, and one of them; Lenny, is obviously mentally ill. He has the thought process of a child, and it causes some trouble for George, who takes care of him."

"Why would he keep Lenny around then?" Lilly asked, fiddling with her spoon as she continued. "It was hard to get a job in that climate, so why risk getting into trouble that would fuck things up?"

"Lenny was George's friend." Walter explained, placing the book back down. "It was lonely during that time for men like George, he wouldn't have had any friends outside of the temporary jobs he'd find. It can easily be applied now. Friends are all you got, and it's hard for people to survive out there without someone you can count on."

"Sometimes you can't even count on your friends." Lee muttered bitterly, continuing to eat his food as Lilly just sighed to herself, not looking at him as she too continued to eat. Walter glanced at both of them, before he closed his book and cleared his throat. "I don't know what happened between you two, but I think that-"

"Nobody asked you." Lee snapped, glaring down the table.

"Don't talk to Walter like that!" Lilly chastised. "He's right. We gotta stop this, Lee. I can't tell you how sorry I am for what I done, but you have to understand-"

"What I understand is that you killed someone close to me and then stole our only transport at the time! I didn't know if the train would work or not, and if it didn't then we would have been stranded. All because of you."

"We're not having this argument right now. All I want is one dinner in peace, without hearing about the mistakes I made." Lilly grumbled. "I can't make you forgive me, Lee, so if you wanna leave in the morning then fine. Just please... let me have one night."

"If we even make it to the morning." Lee growled, glaring up at Lilly again as he continued. "I saw you messing around with something before dinner. What are you planning, Lilly?"

Lilly seemed confused by this, before her eyes fell and she mumbled. "Nothing."

"No, I don't believe you."

Anger and grief flashed in the woman's eyes as she just shrugged. "You know what? Considering you think so little of me, here."

Something landed on the table between them with a dull thud. Glancing down at it, he felt a pang of guilt in his stomach as he immediately remembered it, the rectangle leather object seeming so familiar. It was a wallet, more importantly it was Larry's wallet.

"I grabbed it before I save you from Danny ." Lilly mumbled, her voice growing quieter as she added. "It's all I have left of him."

Recalling Clementine's hat in his bag by his leg, he leaned down and opened it, taking out the hat before sitting back up. With Lilly watching him, he placed it on the table and muttered. "I know what that's like."

"Her hat?" Lilly was shocked to see the young girl's hat, reaching for it before she paused, glancing up at Lee for his permission to touch it. With a nod of his head, he watched as she grabbed it, examining the blood splatter fabric before she mumbled. "I can't believe she's gone. I was so guilty about leaving you two behind, but I figured she would be safe with you."

"You were wrong. I got her killed."

"Lee-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Lilly." He brushed off, ending the conversation there. Lilly respected his wished and handed back the hat, which was immediately returned to its place in the bag. Larry's wallet too was taken off the table, placed back in Lilly's jacket, and then the duo went back to eating their peaches and beans like before. Nick and Walter didn't mention anything about it, obviously not wanting to upset the two grieving people, and too returned to their food and book. The silence hung over them like a thick blanket, Lee feeling like he couldn't breathe suddenly, and wanted nothing more than to excuse himself and go sit by himself. He was stopped however, when Matthew appeared with two empty bowls, and a concerned look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked, suddenly sounding anxious. "Is it Uncle Pete?"

"He's not fighting the fever, and his leg isn't getting any better. It's not looking good." He explained, practically having to dodge the taller man as he pushed himself away from the table, quickly running to the staircase and out of sight to see his uncle. Lee watched him go, before glancing over at Matthew with a worried expression.

"He's not gonna make it, is he?"

Matthew didn't answer straight away, glancing up at the area where Pete was resting before returning his gaze back to Lee, shaking his head as he muttered. "I'm doing the best I can."

"I know, man. There's not much we can do for Pete, not without a hospital."

"That's not much of an option anymore." Lilly mumbled.

"Well, I'll clean the dishes." Matthew offered, taking the finished bowls along with the empty ones he brought, leaving the table before Walter could offer to do the dishes instead. Lilly wasted no time in standing up, moving away as Walter asked after her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." She replied. "Just need some time alone."

Then she was gone. Left with just Walter, Lee too moved to excuse himself when Walter asked. "Lee? Can I have a moment?"

Turning around, he was greeted with Walter handing something out to him, the rectangular shape quickly revealed to be the Of Mice & Men book that the older man was reading before. Staring at it for a moment, Lee glanced up at Walter as the balding man smiled. "John Steinbeck. I figured you should start somewhere."

"Thanks." Lee faintly smiled, grabbing the book and flicking through the pages quickly, shutting the book and tossing it into his bag. Lifting the heavy bag up onto his shoulder, he turned to Walter to see him gesturing for the black man to follow, obeying as the two began walking through the dimly lit lodge.

"You and Lilly have known each other for a long time, and what she done is obviously still hurtful for you. But the way I see it, she's trying her best to make it up for you, and I think you should at least give her a chance to prove herself."

"You weren't there. You didn't even know her a couple of weeks ago, and you sure as hell don't know me. I thought she was my friend, and she fucked not only me but our entire group over. She killed my..." Lee paused when he remembered Carley, thinking of the woman as more than just his friend and fellow survivor, taking a deep breath as he finished. "She killed the woman that I loved."

"Wow..." Walter gasped, his face showing guilt for bringing the subject back up. "I'm sorry. I wouldn't even know what to do if I lost Matthew."

"You two together?"

Smiling at the memory, he nodded. "Going on our twelfth year. I'll never forget how we first met, it was actually at this ski lodge."

"Irony always have the funniest ways, huh?" Lee chuckled, before rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I met Carley the first few days after this, and she... urgh... she threatened to cut me loose because I was committed for murder before the plague."

"Really?" Walter asked surprisingly, his eyebrows raised high as he chuckled. "Seems the plague was good for someone."

"Weren't it just."

"Anyway, I think you should check on Nick and Pete-"

"Lee!" Someone yelled from above, causing the two men to turn around quickly and glance up the staircase, spotting Nick staring down at them with a frightened expression. Lee moved away from Walter, reaching the staiorcase quickly as he responded. "Nick? What's wrong?!"

"It's Uncle Pete," he explained, his voice giving away just how grave the situation is. "He's got worse. A lot worse."

"Walter, go get Matthew!" Lee ordered, running up the stairs and passed Nick as he reached the top, standing still as he came across the scene. Pete was just lying there, his skin deathly pale with sweat rolling down the side of his face, his eyes screwed shut in pain. Nick pushed past Lee as he just stood there, reaching his uncle's side as he frantically yelled. "Keep your eyes open, Uncle Pete! You need to stay awake!"

Hearing footsteps behind him, Lee turned to see Matthew appearing at the top of the stairs, moving past him as well. Kneeling by Pete's side, Matthew removed the blanket and checked the wound, wincing at the sight of the swollen and bruised knee; the few cuts in his leg infected. "The bone pierced through his fucking skin! Dammit, he's gone into septic shock!"

"What does that mean?!" Nick asked, his voice shaking.

"It's blood-poisoning. He's pale, his temperature is through the roof, and the hypothermia has fucked him over already. Nick, there ain't much hope for hi-"

"Don't say that! We can't give up, not on Uncle Pete!"

"Nick, we gotta listen to what Matthew is saying-!" Lee tried to convince, before jumping back as Nick lashed out.

"Fuck you, Lee!"

"Nick, I need more bandages for his leg, they're downstairs in the first aid box in the kitchen." Matthew ordered, not looking at Nick as the taller man just growled in anger, storming away to get the bandages needed. With him gone, Lee watched Matt working on Pete, keeping an eye out for Nick as he asked. "Matt, tell me straight. Is Pete-?"

"Gonna live?" Matthew interrupted, obviously stressed by the situation. "I don't think so. The sepsis has already set in, I don't have any antibiotics to give to Pete, the last one we gave to this couple passing through. The wife was pregnant. In a few hours without treatment, he's gonna be dead."

"Shit, he's gonna turn if we don't do something."

"You're gonna have to convince Nick that Pete's reached the end of the road. There's no way I can treat this."

"Alright, I'll grab him now-"

Suddenly, the two were caught off-guard by the sound of shouting and gunshots downstairs.


	13. Surprise Attack

Lee dove behind the low wall bordering the resting area, his hand curled around the pistol he fished out of his waistband. The noises of yelling and guns going off down below were loud in his ears, everyone's voices merging together and proving difficult for him to tell apart. Matthew crouched in front of him, glancing at him with a fearful expression, his crossbow held tightly in both hands. Nodding at him, Lee peeked over the top of the wall and gazed down at the fight taking place down below. The people attacking he did not recognize, but he could count at least five firing down on a hiding Nick, who took the occasional ammo-reload to fire back at his attackers.

"Where's Walter?!" Matthew asked desperately, peering over too. Lee searched for the missing survivor, finally finding him having taken cover behind the couch he was resting on just a few hours ago.

"He's there." Lee muttered, trying not to get the attackers' attention. Both Walter and Nick were in view, but the only survivor missing was Lilly. "Where the fuck is Lil-?"

Lee was cut off by a bullet whizzing past his face, coming close to tearing a chunk of his ear off. Recoiling from the near hit, he ducked back behind cover and held his face, his heart racing as he swore. "That almost fucking got me!"

"Are you alright?" Matthew asked, concerned about him.

"I'll live." Lee replied, before looking over at Pete. "What are we gonna do? We're outnumbered!"

"There's a window out to the back of the lodge, we can get outside and outflank them." Matthew explained, glancing over his shoulder at the flight of stairs before continuing. "Lilly left after dinner, she might be already outside!"

"She could have left us as soon as those fuckers attacked us!" Lee countered, not eager to put his trust back into the woman.

Matthew seemed annoyed by this accusation, before chiding Lee. "We don't have many options right now, Lee! It's either that, or get killed by those guys!"

"Fine! We'll go with your plan then!"

That said, the two were interrupted by one of the attackers having made his way up the stairs, firing at them with his shotgun. Lee and Matthew jumped at this sudden attack, the former aiming his gun and retaliating at the unknown man. He jutted backwards as the bullet pierced through his shoulder, causing him to fall down the stairs, a loud thud just another sound in the frightening cacophony. Unaffected by this murder, Lee just let out a shaky breath at the near miss and turned to Pete, the old man still lying on the couch but with a look of bitter acceptance on his face.

"Lee." He called out, staring at Lee as he quickly appeared by Pete's side. "Before you go, tell Nick... don't do anything stupid. He's a good boy."

"I will, Pete." Lee accepted, before nervously glancing at the approaching voices at the base of the stairs, turning back to Pete as he quickly explained. "They're almost on us, do you want me to...?"

He pasued awkwardly at the though of offering to kill Pete, but the urgency of the situation called for no other way. Pete just shook his head at this offer, raising his hand before letting it fall back on his lap. "Save the bullet. I'm not going anywhere."

Lee seemed saddened by this, but was urged to move when Matthew nudged his shoulder. "We gotta go."

"You're a good man, Lee." Pete praised, before adopting a sterner tone. "Now get outta here, I'll hold these bastards off."

"Thank you." And with that, Lee and Matthew ran to the back of the lodge, turning a corner at the end of the resting area when Lee heard a voice behind him, the sound of it signaling the speaker to be a woman.

"Hey there, Pete." She welcomed mockingly. "It's been a while."

"Get fucked, Tess." Lee heard Pete spit, crouching down behind cover so that he and Matthew weren't spotted. The two stalked along the cover to the window Matthew mentioned before, hearing Pete yell in pain as Tess growled. "Where the fuck are the two men that killed my brother!?"

"I-I ain't saying nothing." Lee began to feel guilt for leaving Pete in that situation, but was quickly shocked as he peered over just in time to see Pete launch himself from the couch, grabbing Tess's rifle and wrestling for only a few seconds, before Tess managed to kick him away. Pete slammed into the railing, grunting loudly as he did so, but could only manage a seething glare as Tess shot him straight through the forehead. Lee held back a gasp as he watched Pete's brain matter explode out the back of his head, which lurched backwards from the force of the shot, and watched helplessly as Pete's corpse fell backwards off the first floor. The sound of his body smacking into the floor made his stomach flip, but not as much as he heard Nick call out quickly afterwards, his voice wracked with devastation.

"Uncle Pete!"

"We gotta go, now!" Matthew whispered, fearful as they heard Tess yelll out.

"Come out, assholes!" she ordered, footsteps signaling that she's coming closer. "It's just gonna be worse if you hide for longer, you could end up like your poor friend there!"

Lee and Matthew carried on towards the window as she screamed. "Come the FUCK out!"

Finally, they reached the window that would lead to the back of the lodge, the scenery out there drastically different from the carnage going on in the lodge. Matthew pulled on the window forcefully, grunting as it finally gave way. Lee gestured for Matthew to go first, and felt his heart drop when he saw Tess coming around the corner, the look on her face when she spotted them meaning most likely death. "You!"

"Fuck!" Lee cursed, pushing Matthew's behind as hard as he could, sending the hooded man out the window and landing on the deck below with a thud. Aiming his pistol, Lee fired at Tess enough times that she took cover, barely dodging a rifle shot before jumping out the window after Matthew. The drop was shorter than Lee realized, and he quickly found himself lying on the cold wooden deck, Matthew right beside him with a look of annoyance on his face. "Next time, don't push me out the window, asshole."

The still moment was once again interrupted by one of the attackers running around the corner of the lodge, spotting the two men lying there and quickly aiming his gun, yelling at them. "Don't move!"

"Get that bastard, Dwight!" Tess yelled from the window. "That bastard killed Michael!"

Lee didn't listen as he sprung to his feet, running across the deck with Matthew quickly following as he heard the guard yell again. "Fuck! Goddammit, get back here!"

He didn't shoot at them however, which was surprisingly odd to Lee, but he didn't stop to ask the man why he wasn't shooting at them.

"Go get them! Bill is gonna fucking skin you alive if they escape!" He heard Tess scream at this Dwight, who just yelled after the duo. "I'll fucking shoot!"

Lee once again ignored the threat. Instead, he jumped over the fence surrounding the lodge, seeking safety in the forest where they could surely lose the attackers. The trees loomed over them as they ran further into the forest's embrace, their boots hitting against the dirt path hard, and the sounds of shouting fading from their hearing. Matthew paused for a moment, taking in his surroundings before judging the direction in which they would travel. "This way, there's a resting stop at the top of the hill where we can fight back at them!"

Following after Matthew, Lee felt his lung ache with all the exertion of tonight's events, and his heart heavy with the thought of Pete's demise. Despite everything, he wondered where Lilly had gotten too, unable to fight off the thoughts of betrayal once more as his face contorted to bitter realization. She left them again. He was such an idiot for trusting her about her lodge with food and "safety". With these thoughts distracting him, he reacted too late when someone tackled him out the cover of the trees, the two stumbling to the ground with a loud yell. Matthew noticed this and turned around, but was driven off from helping Lee when another person began shooting at him.

"Go!" Lee ordered, watching as Matthew reluctantly ran off from the danger, before returning his attention to his unknown attacker. It was the man from before, but this time Lee could see he was fairly old, perhaps the same age as Lee. His head was shaved, his skin a light tanned colour given the moonlight, and his face seemingly reluctant to actually hurt Lee. Unable to push him off, Lee grunted as the man reached for his gun that skidded across the ground, before using this off-balance to roll from underneath the man.

Grabbing the pistol he dropped, Lee aimed it at the man's head, the look of fear in his eyes apparent. He froze there, certain that Lee would just shoot him and rejoin with Matthew, until his eyes glanced over to something behind Lee, and he found out too late who it was. Turning his head, he was only greeted with the end of a shotgun, the person behind it making his heart drop to the pits of his stomach.

"Put the gun down, Lee." Lilly ordered, her face somewhat saddened at what she was doing, but the presence of the man made her mask it with a stone cold glare. "Put it down!"

"I fucking knew it." Lee spat, his words like venom. "You back-stabbing bitch!"

He moved towards Lilly, not caring about the gun clearly pointed at him, but the man grabbed his own gun and, with as much strength as he could muster, smacked Lee in the back of the head. The world flashed in white light for a moment as Lee grunted in pain, before he staggered forward slightly, his knees weak and finally giving way under his weight. His body fell to the floor, his eyes closing as he lost consciousness, the last thing he heard being Lilly's voice.

"I'm sorry, Lee."


	14. In Harm's Way

Pitch black was all that greeted Lee as he slowly opened his eyes, a few blinks getting rid of the sleep that was forming between his eyelids. The pain was intolerable, his head pounded and the back of his eyes ached, closing them again providing little relief from the agony. Moving his hands, Lee realized that he couldn't, struggling for a moment as he noticed them bound behind his back, his shoulder pressed uncomfortably against the floor.

"Fuck..." he swore quietly, lifting himself up and glancing around. "Hello?"

"Lee?" A familiar voice called out the darkness. "Lee, are you awake?"

"Walter?"

"Yeah. Thank god you're alright, when we saw them dragging you to the truck..." Walter paused for a moment, before replying with a quieter voice. "I don't know where Matthew is."

"Matthew? He was..." A flashback to in the forest came through Lee's mind, of him shouting at Matthew to get away, and the last thing him seeing of the man is his guilty expression before gunfire forced him away. "He ran off to save you guys. He's still out there."

"He tried to free us from on top of the hill," Walter explained. "Those people went after him. They came back with blood on their clothes and..."

"Walt?"

"He could be dead. Matthew could be dead, and I can't go out to see, to make sure." Walter's voice sounded desperate, it cracking at the end under the sheer emotion that the kind man must have been feeling. Lee frowned sadly at this, before hearing voices in the front of him. One of them sounded masculine, almost like a muffled version of the guy who tackled him in the forest, the other voice making his blood boil.

"We should check on the people back there." Lilly pressed, receiving no reply before she snapped. "Lee could have died back there. If he came back, you're gonna have to explain to Bill why we have three dead people and blood all over the wall!"

"Will you stop going on about those fucking prisoner?!" Another woman snapped, reminding Lee of that woman who tried to kill him and Matthew whilst they were escaping the lodge. "That bastard better not wake up, if he knows what's good for him."

"Michael deserved whatever he got," Lilly retaliated. "I would have done the same thing eventually."

"Watch your fucking mouth, bitch."

The truck screeched to a stop, nearly sending Lee back down to floor with the sheer force, before he corrected himself again. Nick's voice grumbled out of the inkiness. "Are we already there?"

"I don't think so..." Walter replied, though he sounded unsure himself. "I don't like this, Le-"

"Shut up." Lee hushed, listening in closely to the voices again.

"Get out." The man ordered, the sound of the engine being turned off loud in the silent air.

"What?"

"You want to check on the prisoners," the guy snapped, before the sound of the door opening followed. "Go on. Go check on them. You too, Tess."

"What?!"

"You're fucking annoying me, go with Lilly and make sure they ain't dead so she'd shut up."

The sound of shuffling was quiet, before the slamming of the door replacing it loudly, causing Lee to tense when footsteps crunched to the right of him. His companions were just a silent as he was, waiting nervously for their captors to open the door. The binds around his wrists dug in painfully, his watch being taken most likely whilst he was unconscious, making his hands clench in anger. Pulling on them experimentally, he sighed in defeat when they wouldn't budge.

About to speak out to the other survivors tied up in the truck, he was blinded by the bright light suddenly filling the space, highlighting the features and finally showing the other two men with him; Walter sitting just to the left of Lee, and Nick sitting off in the corner. Turning his body around, Lee's head screamed in agony as the light continued to blind him, his eyes taking a while to adjust. Standing at the entrance to the inside of the truck was Lilly, Tess and another guy who definitely wasn't the same one who attacked Lee. His hair was hidden away by a worn beanie, his skin a sickly pale colour and his eyes sunken in and tired, though the blood on his shirt the only thing Lee was focusing on.

"Let's just get this over with." He sighed, gesturing for Lee to come out with a gesture of his gun. "Come on, man. Up and at them."

Lee just stared at him with defiance, before the sight of Tess and her gun coming into view made him reevaluate his options. Sighing to himself, he struggled to his feet and shuffled awkwardly to the edge of the truck, jumping down with a grunt as the sunlight did no good for his headache. The guy just looked over at Lilly, gesturing silently to Lee, before he moved to keep an eye on Nick and Walter. Lilly didn't make any eye contact with Lee as she neared him, the expression on her face suggesting that this was just as uncomfortable for her as it was raging for Lee.

"Hurry the fuck up, Lilly." Tess snapped, glaring at Lee as she continued. "We gotta get back to camp before sundown."

"Give me a moment." Lilly replied harshly. No reply was given, but it was clear by Tess' face that she was growing more impatient. Lee just stared at her, before wincing as Lilly moved the bandage that he wrapped around, the pain radiating from the back and side; most likely from the injuries he sustained earlier before. Lilly's touch was gentle, which was surprising considering she put him in this situation, and before he knew it she withdrew with a look of sympathy. He just glared at her, before Tess spoke up.

"He's not dead, so just throw him back in with the others will ya?!"

His heated stares shifted from Lilly to the foul-mouthed woman, and this time they were not ignored. "Who the fuck are you staring at?!"

"Tess, just get back in the van with Joel and Dwight, we're done her-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Tess interrupted, barging past Lilly and squaring up against Lee, her face mere inches from his own though her own height put her at an almost embarrassing compromise. "You got something to say, huh?!"

Lee remained silent, just staring down at her with an air of defiance, which only served to infuriate her more as she snapped. "You fucking piece of shit!"

The end of her rifle was all that Lee saw as he grunted in pain, stumbling backwards and falling to the ground in a daze as Tess continued to insult him. "Fucking look at me again, you worthless trash and I'll put one right between your eyes!"

"That's enough!" Lilly snapped, prying Tess away, but was unable to stop the woman from spitting on Lee before she pushed the angered guard away. "Go back, now!"

The fleck of saliva hit Lee straight in the face, the disgusting slime trailing down his face as he grimaced, unable to wipe it away due to his bound hands. He just glanced up to see Lilly standing in front of him, watching Tess get back in the van before she returned her attention back to Lee. She grabbed his upper arm, struggling a bit to get him to his feet before she attempted to wipe the spit off his face, but a jerk of his head made it clear he did not want any of her help. She frowned at this, before she just sighed. "It's at least two more hours until we reach camp, you really wanna wait that long with spit on your face?"

He didn't reply, or even look at her, but he allowed her second attempt to wipe the horrid fluid from his cheek. With that cleared up, he just made his own way back to the opening into the truck and stepped in, taking his place back where he was sat without uttering a single word to Lilly, the woman just frowning before grabbing hold of the door; slamming it shut and locking it. The space was shrouded in darkness once more, Lee just staring out in front of him with a sour expression on his face, before he just sighed in defeat.

"I heard commotion outside," Walter started. "I was just wondering if you're alright?"

Lee paused for a moment, his eyes flickering and yet could not find anything through the blanket of shadows, before he just glanced down at the floor.

"No."


	15. A Warming Welcome

It felt like hours. The truck hummed away as it neared the destination, and the prisoners at the back could do nothing but wait. The air was silent, and heavy with the blatant sense of despair from all the inhabitants, not even broken by the quiet voices from the cab in front. The temperature dropped right down; goosebumps layering Lee's skin in a desperate attempt to get warm, making him shiver violently as he chattered his teeth. His companions weren't handling themselves any better, with Walter quietly muttering how cold it was and Nick pulling his elongated legs into his chest to try and preserve at least some warmth.

"How much longer do we have to wait?" Walter asked, the cold getting to him.

Nick just took in a shuddering breath and replied. "I don't know. We've been in here for hours, and it ain't gonna get better once we get back into Howe's."

"What do you mean?"

"They ain't gonna let us have the good rooms, that's for the guards and people who Bill doesn't hate. We're gonna get the Pen."

"The Pen?" Lee spoke up. "Sarah mentioned that name before..."

"It's a fucking prison," Nick muttered bitterly. "You sleep on the floor or on these hard-ass shelves, and it's outside so you can't even get warm, no heat besides a fucking tiny fire."

"What kind of place lets people live like that?!" Walter asked, disturbed by Nick' descriptions.

"The worst kind." Lee responded. "Sarah told me about the guy who runs it, this 'Bill'. From what I heard, he's not the kinda guy you want running this place."

"The Pen is meant to break people, especially those who gone against Bill. You're starved and then put to work, and when you can't work they starve you some more, and they keep this up until you either turn on your friends to gain favour or..."

He paused, the silent creeping in before he finally finished. "You die."

"Jesus..." Walter muttered.

They fell silent after that, the inevitability of their stay in this Pen looming over them depressingly. Lee's stomach growled loudly, calling out for food, and proving difficult for him to just ignore. Along with the hunger, he was thirsty, tired and in pain. He prayed quietly for the truck ride to stop and for him to just go to sleep, though having a good night's sleep seemed impossible to him right then. Instead, he just tried his best to handle the pain and discomfort, though Nick's words echoed in his head. _You're starved and then put to work, and when you can't work they starve you some more._

His stomach cramped in response to the penetrating thoughts, and so he pushed them away to save himself from getting more hungry. It was getting unbearable, the pain behind his eyes felt like they were being jabbed with searing hot fire pokers, and his head felt like it was being caved in. He needed sleep, and with that thought remaining in his head Lee felt himself starting to close his eyes, his guard lowering just enough that he thought he could actually sleep until they reached their destination. The sounds of his surroundings started morphing into one, the lull of the truck running softly, the occasional sigh from Nick as he tried to get warm, or the muffled voices coming from the cabin that he long gave up translating.

It felt almost serene, like his problems could just go away, and he almost felt like they could if the zip tie bounding his hands together didn't dig into his wrists, and the sudden stop of the truck bringing his circumstances all crashing down on him once more. His eyes shot wide open again, his heart seizing up as he quietly listened in for any notion of what was going on. The others were just as quiet, and without the hum of the running engine or the mumbles of their captors talking, everything was a stilled silence. That made Lee realize that it was too quiet, no bird tweeting or the wind blowing, it was as if all the life had been sucked out of the place they have stopped in, and that made his stomach drop.

They were here.

They had arrived at Howe's.

Suddenly, the door jutted open, causing the bright light to temporally blind the bound prisoners. Wincing away in pain, Lee could only hear one of the guards bark. "Come on, get outta there."

Walter was the first to get to his feet, before shuffling to the edge of the truck with Nick quickly following after him, the two being helped down by the male guards that rode in the truck. Lee waited a second for his eyes to adjust, and only started getting to his feet when he felt a hand clasp on his shirt, yanking him forwards unexpectedly and causing him to lose his balance. His knees ached horribly as he fell on them, glancing up the arm holding onto him to see Tess standing over him, her brown eyes staring at him with as much hate as she could muster.

"When we tell you to get the fuck out," she released her grip on his shirt, and instead went for his bound hands, pulling them upwards painfully and causing Lee to scramble to his feet with a cry of pain. "You get the FUCK out! Do you understand me, asshole?!"

His legs trudged under his weight, and it took all his willpower not to just collapse out of the truck and onto the tiled floor. Instead, he just jumped down onto the floor, nearly falling when Lilly caught him. Righting himself, he shrugged her off and stood up straight, watching in despair as the door to the outside world closed behind the truck, locking them all within the camp. The room they were in appeared to be a loading bay, with shelves stacked high to the ceiling with food, canned and bags of the stuff, as well as water and about all the things a community would need. There was only one other truck in the room besides the one they rode there in, and it made him wonder exactly how they kept them running. Did they have an engineer? Or were Howe's just lucky they haven't broke yet?

Still looking around, Lee ignored the guards talking amongst each other as he glanced at the control panel beside the shutters, the cover already locked and one of the guards probably having the key. With that factor affecting escape, the amount of guards that were in the room besides the four traveling with them would definitely hinder any escape, and all their guns were ready to end any rebellions. They weren't escaping tonight, and any other day soon, much to Lee's despair. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard Tess snap. "I'll take him to the fucking doctor then, though Jack's pretty much useless now without Carlos."

"You really think I'm leaving Lee with you alone?" Lilly scoffed, glaring at the woman. "Most of his injuries was your fault."

"I need you to take these prisoners with Dwight, Lilly." Joel sighed, gesturing to Walter and Nick with his rifle. "I've been working since sun-up yesterday. I need sleep before I drop dead."

"You can't just quickly take them to the Pen before heading to bed?" Lilly asked, more annoyed at this than concerned that Joel had been working for over a day.

"I wasn't even meant to be with you guys for this pick-up." Joel snapped, his voice taking a more sharp tone. "I only came because Alicia was called away to help with the uproar in the Pen."

The Pen? That peaked Lee's interest as he recalled Nick's mention of where they were going to be put once they reached Howe's, so Sarah and the others could be there. Why would there be an uproar there? It couldn't have been Omid or Sarah, and Christa wouldn't need extra guards in her current state, as well as that Luke just didn't seem to be the person to voice the unfairness. There wasn't much time for Lee to dwell on this as he was pushed away from his companions, glancing back at them as Tess pushed him again; Walter watching with sympathy whilst Nick seemed down, almost like he knew what would become of Lee. Their faces fell out of sight as they exited the loading bay, the door closing behind him as they continued through the rest of Howe's.

More shelves lined the walkways, all of them with supplies filling them up, and structurally sound enough for guards to patrol on them, giving them a height advantage to see anyone sneaking around. The windows were high up above them, letting in light from the rising sun to brighten the building up, and the windows that were around human height were blocked by nailed down planks. The office's window was above them, the inside hidden behind thick blinds, though Lee could hazard a guess that the office would belong to Carver.

Suddenly, he was pushed into a hallway that was nearly empty, something that confused Lee until he felt something hard hit him in the back of the head. Collapsing to the ground with a grunt, he was powerless to stop the series of kicks to his stomach and chest, as well as a stray kick hitting him square in the nose. White light flashed behind his eyes for a second as he heard a crack, the agony unbelievable as liquid flowed over his lips and pooled onto the floor. Groaning in pain, he could barely hear the cold whisper as Tess snarled. "You better watch yourself, cause as long as you're alive..."

She neared his face, her tied back hair becoming messy from the exertion, as she continued. "I'm gonna make every second a living hell."

She pulled away, and harshly banged on the door to their left. Lee coughed violently whilst he still laid on the floor, the taste of blood bitter in his mouth as he wished his hands unbound, just so he could retaliate against Tess. He hated her so much that he wished more than death on her, he wished the worst of suffering on her, and he didn't even flinch internally when the thoughts crossed his mind. He wanted to be bitter, he _wanted_ to be angry and lash out, to let all his anger and pain and grief out against all those who wronged him. Yet he couldn't, he was tied up like a dog; bleeding on the floor powerless to fight back, and that just made him more angry and bitter.

The door opened, the person's voice muffled in Lee's ears as he gasped in horror. "What the actual fuck, Tess?"

A pair of hands lifted his face, the pain sparking once more that made him retreat weakly. "He's beaten to shit! What did you do to him?!"

"You're here to fix people, not ask annoying ass questions." Tess brushed off, her voice barking out an order. "Just fucking fix him, I want this waste of space in the Pen."

The man examining Lee's face seemed disgusted with the treatment given to the prisoner, but he obeyed her nonetheless as he helped Lee to his feet. "Come on. I'll get you fixed."

The exhaustion was too much on his legs however, as Lee attempted to stand only to fall back down again, something that obviously annoyed Tess. "Get up, you-!"

"That's enough!" The man snapped, putting his hand out to stop the guard from coming any closer. "You've done enough damage. Just help me get him to the table, for fuck sake."

The tone of his voice meant he was serious, and it was this tone that made Tess glare at him, before grabbing hold of Lee with one arm and pulling, helping him to lean onto the man's shoulder before she just watched them enter the room. It was an old staff room, complete with a damaged vending machine in the corner, with everything else taken out or just shoved to one side. Tables were lined neatly in rows, covered in white sheets and a thin pillow on them, showing that they were used for treating patients. The man made Lee lie on one of these tables, the pillow offering no comfort for his wounded head, before he left his side to fetch the small table. The rattling of wheels neared, and quickly the man returned to Lee's vision.

Given time to properly examine him, Lee was surprised at how young he looked, in fact he could safely guess the doctor was younger than most of the survivors he saw in the camp so far. His dark hair was greased, sticking to his forehead with a mixture of grease and sweat, and tired eyes sitting behind a pair of smart glasses, bags under his eyes showing a lack of sleep. He was at least clean shaved, with a grey jacket over a worn shirt. The man moved to remove Lee's bound wrists when he heard Tess growl. "The ties stay on."

"I need his hands free so he can take some medicine." Jack explained. There was a moment of silence before Tess growled under her breath, and Lee felt himself being lifted slightly and a knife tug on the zip ties briefly, and then the blissful feeling of the ties no long digging into his wrists; his hands were freed. He was laid back down onto the table, the doctor peering over him.

"This will hurt a little." He warned, and sure enough pain shot through Lee's face as fingers felt his nose, a weak attempt of moving his face away proving to the man just how painful that action was. "You broke his fucking nose."

"Can you fix it?"

"I need to stop the bleeding, then I can get some of the swelling down and give him pain medication." He replied, before he threw in. "This is getting beyond a joke, Tess. You could have killed him."

"Poor him." She just responded in a mocking tone, a tone that was largely ignored as the doctor continued to treat Lee's broken nose. "Just hurry up, Jack. Bill wants to talk with him before I throw him in the Pen."

"That place?" Jack frowned, pausing in his treatment as he turned to her. "They leave people to die in there, it's like a death camp!"

"You know the rules."

Jack seemed sympathetic towards Lee after that revelation, before he grabbed hold of him. "I need to sit you up to stop the blood going into your throat."

Lee cried out in pain as he sat up, his entire body screaming in agony at this movement, before Jack continued. "Pinch this bit of your nose for about ten minutes. It'll stop the bleeding."

Doing as the doctor instructed, Lee just listened as he carried on. "I'll grab something to decrease the swelling, just keep doing that."

Obeying his orders, Lee just sat there in pain as he held his nose, his eyes looking over at the table by his bed. A few instruments were strewed on top of them, a few not even cleaned of blood yet, and he couldn't help but shiver at the thought of what those tools were exactly used for. Unable to stand to look at them anymore, he focused on the blood that stained his shirt and fingers, the recall of the assault still fresh in his mind. Unconsciously, he glanced over at Tess who stood watch at the door, her expression annoyed and the gun instinctively held tight in her small hands. Before she could notice his staring, he switched back to Jack, who just appeared from the other side of the room with a bag of what looked like ice in his hand.

"Here," he started, pressing the cold bag to Lee's face as he finished. "Once the swelling goes down I can give you a paracetamol, but that's all I can do."

The coldness of the ice bag had a numbing sensation on Lee's face, a welcomed feeling instead of the burning pain that was there beforehand. Holding it to his face, he watched as the doctor moved away once more to a safe, punching in a code before pulling the safe open. He took something out, though exactly what Lee couldn't tell for sure, though the small box he could see when Jack turned around suggested that they were the tablets he was talking about. Opening up the box, he popped a single tablet from the foil covering, placing the box back into the safe and shutting it again; locking the valuable contents within.

Turning back to Lee, who was watching from his seat on the table, he grabbed a bottle of water from the counter and walked back to his side, offering the patient both of them. Lee removed the bag of ice, placing it down beside him as he took the tablet and bottle off the doctor, who in turn took the bag of ice away. Placing the tablet in his mouth, Lee tried to ignore the horrible taste as he quickly took a gulp of water from the bottle, grimacing as he offered the bottle back to Jack. With the nose taken care of, Jack began to examine the bandages around Lee's head as well as his hand, wincing as he saw the healing wound on his palm. "That's gonna leave a scar."

Lee gave no response, and just watched as Jack concluded that the bandages were enough for his injuries, before he stepped away. "That's it. You can take him to Bill now."

"About fucking time." Tess scoffed, briskly walking to Lee's bedside and retied his hands back behind him again. With that done, she pulled him from the bed and forced Lee to walk out of the doctor's office without a single objection uttered by Jack, the door slammed behind them as they stood in the hallway once more. The guards have entered the hallway, some giving Lee disturbed or disgusted looks as he passed them, with one even looking guilty about it. He ignored them all however, as all he wanted was to sleep and heal up.

Returning to the main building, Lee was pushed into the direction of the office, which started looming over him as they drew near. He felt his stomach churning at the thought of finally meeting this Carver fellow, the way his companions described him stuck in his head. He knew he was scared, but he tried hard to push that fear away and instead walked as tall as he could, given the fact that his stomach was aching from the kicks he got. As they reached the set of stairs, he spotted someone walking down towards them, stiffening up instinctively.

It was another woman, but this one was taller than Tess and had a certain air about her. Her skin was tanned, with eyes a deep brown, and her dark hair cut short so it only reached her shoulders. She was wearing a thick skiing jacket that was dark blue in colour, with the zipper pulled up, and dark jeans that were stained with dirt. She paused her walking when she saw Lee and Tess, her face simply deadpan as she spoke up. "Here for Bill?"

"Bill, then I have to take this fucker to the Pen." Tess replied bitterly.

"IT looks like you've beaten him half to death." The woman pointed out, angered at the state of Lee's face. "We're meant to bring people in to survive, not so we can use them a punchbags."

"He killed Michael."

"What?"

"Michael was shot when we were getting this guy and his people," Tess explained, her anger very clear. "This... fucker killed him."

"Give him here." The woman offered, not looking at Lee anymore as she continued. "Go and get some rest, I'll take him to Bill and then to the Pen."

"Whatever." Tess grumbled, pushing Lee forward as she moved to leave, only pausing for a moment as she turned her head. "Just don't fuck up, Alicia. Bill can't protect your ass forever."

Alicia glared at Tess as the woman walked off, before turning to Lee and ordered. "Let's go. Best not keep Bill waiting."

Lee didn't respond to her, and instead just walked past her up the stairs, the guard quickly following. Reaching the top, he paused for a moment as he stared at the door, a solid wooden door that led into the office of Carver, with a plaque nailed into the door that had the following words engraved:

 _Manager's Office._


	16. Reunited

"So how are you finding our community so far?"

Lee just sat there in the office chair, staring straight at the man in front of him; sitting behind a large wooden desk. The office he was in was fairly small, with filing cabinets pushed against the wall furthest from the door and a skylight letting in the rising sunlight in to light the entire room up. Over in the corner with several spotlights pointing to it, was another empty office chair, the leather stained with dried blood. Lee tried not to stare at it, feeling his stomach tighten as he thought of the possibilities of what that chair was used for. Instead, he studied the man that just asked him the question.

He was fairly old, with greying hair and facial hair around that shit-talking mouth of his, and his dark eyes showed nothing of his true intention. In fact, he gave off a friendly aura, but it was one that didn't fool Lee. His fluffy coat looked warm however, and only reminded Lee of his own jacket, something he missed the past few days. This man was obviously Carver, and yet Lee expected... more.

"Not much of a talker are we?" Carver's gravelly voice chuckled. "I'm gonna ask you again, and you could be a little less rude. How are you finding our community so far?"

"It's a prison." Lee spat.

This answer caused Carver to raise an eyebrow. "Oh? And how is that so?"

"You've taken my friends," the injured man snapped, his hands tightening behind his back. "Your people hurt one of them. Where are they?"

"Your friends are safe and sound in the Pen," Carver explained. "I've shown nothing but hospitality to them. It's safer in here for your friends then out there with all those bad people. What with your friend's pregnancy..."

"How did you-?"

"It's not that hard to figure it out, Lee." The chuckle after that felt like a mock. "Her boyfriend's lucky, she is a pretty little lady."

The compliment made Lee grimace internally, remembering back to what Sarah told him about this guy, before he just stared Carver down coldly. This action didn't go unnoticed, as the leader frowned and noted. "Didn't your parents raise you to know it's rude to stare at people?"

"My parents raised me not to be a sexist asshole." Lee shot back, feeling triumphant at his little victory. This feeling didn't last however, as Carver just smirked at the comment. "Sexist? What gave you that idea?"

"I got told who you are," he frowned, not outing Sarah in fear of the repercussions. "You said that women had to be either in the kitchen or in bed."

"Ahh," Carver sat back in his chair. "Sarah told you, didn't she?"

Lee's face dropped as he just stared at the desk, fixating on the pencil pot as Carver continued. "I did say that, and I can see that I was wrong. In fact, a lot of the women here are very formidable indeed, so how about we put this little disagreement behind us?"

No reply. Carver stood up, moving around the desk and sitting on top of it to Lee's side, staring down at him as he added. "I'm not a bad man, but here we have rules. You work hard, and contribute to the community, and you'll get on just fine. You fuck about or give me that lip again, and I'll be forced to take action. Do we understand?"

The question at the end had a darker edge to it, something that made Lee's neck hair stand up. This man wasn't joking around, and Lee knew that he would stay true to his word, the sheer thought of what his men could do made his wounds ache. The slight grimace because of the pain was noticed by Carver, who crossed his arms. "I see you made acquaintance with Tess?"

"Yeah."

"Well, she painted you black and blue." Carver pointed out, feigning sympathy. "I heard from Dwight when he brought your friend in that you were the one who killed Michael."

"He attacked me first, it was self-defense."

"Still, you did kill one of my men. It would do him injustice to just leave it there." Carver sighed, taking in Lee's horrified expression as he shrugged. "Yet again, I'm a fair man, and it looks like Tess already got justice for her brother. So I'm gonna let it slide, this once."

His shoulders visibly relaxed as Lee sighed quietly. He couldn't bare to think what Carver would do as punishment, his face aching just in fear of the thoughts. His thoughts were interrupted as the man in front of him asked. "Is there anything you would like to tell me before we finish up here?"

"My bag." Lee growled, recalling his bag being taken with everything else. "It had something in it that's important, and I want it back."

"This thing, could it be a hat?" A node from Lee. "Well, it was given to me just before. I have no use for it, so here."

The treasured hat was placed in front of Lee, who attempted to grab it after forgetting his hands were still bound behind his back. "Now this isn't really a home welcome, is it?"

Carver moved past him, knocking on the door, and waited for a moment as it opened with Alicia quickly moving in. As she walked over to Lee and signalled for him to move, only then did Carver continue to talk. "Take him and the hat to the Pen, then get yourself to bed. You've been working hard, Alicia."

"I'm fine."

"That wasn't a request." His voice took a sharp turn, causing Alicia to tense up before nodding silently. "Good. I'd like to talk to you tonight. For now, do as I asked."

"Yes, Bill."

She exited the office with Lee trailing after her, the door creaking closed yet stopped as Carver chuckled. "And Lee? Welcome to Howe's."

With that the door closed fully, leaving Alicia and Lee alone as they walked briskly down the flight of stairs. The bound captive just stared at her back, before slyly glancing at the hat in her possession, only noticing the ring on her finger that gleamed in the light. "That's a lovely ring you got there."

"Thanks." She replied, though she said it so quietly that Lee had trouble hearing it.

He paused for a moment, unsure whether to carry on talking to her or remain quiet, as she was obviously uncomfortable with talking to him, though he continued regardless. "I've never been a big fan of jewelery, but I did have a watch-"

"I'm sorry for sounding rude but could you please stop talking?" Alicia asked, though she seemed guilty of saying that. "I just want to get you to the Pen and then go to bed. If Bill catches me talking to you then..."

She paused, unwilling to carry one, and that made Lee even more curious. "Then what?"

"Please, just be quiet." She ordered, before pausing in front of a heavy shutter, turning to one of the guards standing there. "I got another guy for the Pen."

"Has he been to Jack first?" The guard, who Lee recognized as Dwight, asked. "He looks like shit."

"I think Tess took him," Alicia added. "Bill wants me to put him in the Pen and go to bed. Can you open the shutter, please?"

"Bed? You've only just started your shift!" The other guard snapped, one that Lee did not recognize, before she moved a stray blond hair behind her ear. "I see Bill doesn't want you tired for your 'visits'."

"Enough Krissy." Dwight scolded, before he glanced at Alicia again. "Go on, we'll put the guy in the Pen for you."

"Thank you, Dwight." Alicia smiled, visibly relieved by his offer before turning to Lee. "Get some rest. You'll need it for what's coming ahead."

With that said, she turned to Dwight and gave him Clementine's hat. "It's his. Bill wants him to have it."

He took it without a word, instead watching as Alicia turned around and left them, disappearing behind one of the shelves. Lee just stood there, before Dwight banged on the shutter and yelled. "New people coming in! Away from the door!"

Waiting a few seconds, he signalled to the other guard, who grabbed the lever at the bottom of the shutter and pulled it open, before lifting it to reveal the inside of the Pen. Both of the guards walked in with Lee in tow, the latter seeing this infamous placed for the first time. It was basically a walled off section of outside the shopping mall, the walls made of nailed wood with barbed wire circling the tops, giving off an imposing feeling. The floor was solid concrete of the parking lot, some cracks in it with plant life starting to force their way through. There were long tables off to the side, shelves pushed up against the wall that served as the prisoners' beds, and in the middle of this place was a pitiful fire; chairs surrounding it where people would sit in a desperate attempt to gain warmth.

In those seats were Christa, Omid, Nick and Sarah; the former jumping out of her seat as she happily cried out. "Lee!"

He couldn't help but smile as the teenage girl ran over to him, before giving a pained grunt as thin arms threw themselves around him. They hugged tightly for only a few seconds, before Sarah pulled away with a beaming smile on her face. He stared down at her, smiling as he greeted. "Hey, Sarah."

"I thought you were dead." She revealed, her face falling with sorrow as she continued. "Carver's men came after you and Nick left that morning. They rounded everyone up, and when I asked about you guys, the woman just looked at me with this look and said... you died."

Tears started welling in her face, threatening to fall, and so Lee stared at her with sympathy before holding her close again. "I was so scared, Lee. I thought you left us..."

"I'm here." He soothed. "I ain't going anywhere."

"Lee." Dwight spoke up, standing there watching as the man in question pulled himself from Sarah, holding out the hat as Lee turned around. "Here you go."

"Thanks." He grumbled, taking the hat off him and looking down at it. Dwight just grunted at this, before his fellow guard ordered. "You guys better get your shit together, 'cause Bill wants you all to start work in a few hours."

"But we haven't gotten any sleep!" Nick protested, his tired eyes betraying this fact. "We're exhausted, Kristina."

"I don't make the rules, Nick." Kristina brushed off, before she started walking out of the Pen. "Breakfast will be coming in a few hours, be up or miss your ration."

Dwight followed after her, and as soon as he was on the other side did Kristina pull the shutter down again, locking everyone within the walled off prison. Staring at the blocked exit, Lee was interrupted by Sarah pulling on his shirt, causing him to look down at her. "I got something."

She then ran over to the make-shift beds, pulling something out from underneath as Lee briskly followed her, looking over her shoulder as she stood up with a smile on her face. The object in her hands was in fact Lee's jacket, the worn leather thing stained with dirt and blood, but nonetheless worse for wear. Taking it off her, he put it on as he smirked. "You managed to keep it?"

"Yeah, but the nice lady got me a new jacket." She smirked, showing off the jacket that Lee only then realized she was wearing. "She told me she got it from a ski lodge. It's neat, huh?"

The jacket was pale blue in colour, a hood lying down behind her head and shoulder, and looked suitable for the cold weather sure to come. Lee smiled at it and said. "It's very cool, but who's the nice lady who gave you it?"

"She's one of the guards here, but she's always out there saving new people. I think she said her name was Lilly."

This made Lee frown deeply. "Don't talk to her again, Sarah."

"Why not?" This confused Sarah, as she stared at Lee innocently. "She's nice."

"She got Pete killed."

Sarah's face fell in horror as she stared at the floor, her breathing quickening as she moved away from Lee. "I-I..."

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I shouldn't have scared you like that, but just keep away from her. Okay?" Lee asked, kneeling down to her level. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, before nodding silently. "Good."

"Did you find my dad out there?" She suddenly asked, catching Lee off-guard. His face fell even more, his eyes glancing down at the floor as he sighed, before shaking his head and lied. "No, dear. I didn't see him."

"He is still out there, isn't he?" She begged, her voice taking a desperate turn. "He's gonna come get us outta here, isn't he?"

"He's still out there, yeah. I don't think he can come get us, though, we just have to play our cards right for now."

"But why wouldn't he come and save us? He wouldn't abandon me!"

"I know, I know. But things are different, Sarah. He can't just walk in and take you out, they'll just stop him."

Sarah remained silent after this revelation, not even looking at Lee as she just rubbed her upper arm. Concern edged closer into his mind, and he started weighing up just how beneficial lying to her like this was for the young girl. He couldn't think on it too much, as she just noted. "You don't look too good. Your face is all bruised."

He had forgotten all about his injuries. "I got into a fight, but it's alright now."

"Did you meet Jack?" She smiled, letting her arms drop to her sides as she continued. "I like him. He was like my dad's student back when we lived here the first time, but now I guess he's the only doctor left."

"He's alright." Lee shrugged.

"I don't think he's even a real doctor, not like my dad." Sarah rambled. "I think he once told me he used to care for dogs and that, but not like a vet. I think he was a nurse."

"A veterinary nurse?"

"Yeah, it's pretty weird that a boy's a nurse." Sarah laughed.

Lee smiled at that, before he noted. "My brother was a nurse."

"Really?"

"Yup, I mean he never fully became one, but he trained to be one. I guess the aggro he got was too much though, so he just settled working in my parents' pharmacy."

"Where are you from?"

"Macon, it's down south."

"I know where Macon is!"

This caused Lee to smirk. "Really?"

"W-Well I... erm." Sarah stammered, before she glanced away embarrassingly. "No..."

Lee laughed softly at this, just happy to be back with Sarah and his friends, before Sarah punched him playfully. "Hey!"

"Come on, Christa would want to talk to you!" She pointed out, pulling on his jacket sleeve. He struggled to get back to his feet, groaning softly as he followed after Sarah, who had already made it back to the chairs surrounding the fire. Trudging to the only free chair, he sat down with a grunt as he draped an arm over his wounded stomach, the pain setting in as he finally had the chance to relax. Nick just seemed guilty about his wounds, before he finally voiced his thoughts. "I knew it was a mistake letting that bitch take you."

"There wasn't much you could do," Lee brushed off. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

"What happened?" Christa asked, looking over at Nick as well. "And I mean when you guys left too."

"It was a trap at the river, and we walked right into it. I would've been floating down the river if Nick didn't save me." Lee explained, watching as Christa nodded at this, before she directed to Nick. "Thank you."

"I couldn't leave him to die... I already killed one of your friends."

"We're still sore about Sofia, but we're grateful that you managed to save Lee. At least now we know we can trust you." Christa continued, before she turned her attention back to Lee. "The men who took us said you both died. I wouldn't believe them, and when I tried resisting they fucking beat Omid."

Glancing over to Omid in shock, Lee could see the bruises blossoming on his cheek, his leg wrapped up in bandages that were partially bloody. Omid just smiled and joked. "I'm not dead yet, but they kinda re-opened the injury I got back in Savannah. I guess I never gave it time to properly heal."

"Could it get infected again?"

"I don't know," Christa admitted. "I think their doctor wrapped his leg up, but they won't give up any of their antibiotics. Said those are for the people who are actually worth something."

"I'll be fine." Omid insisted.

Christa just glared at him as she snapped. "We don't know that! If we wanna make sure, we have to get some antibiotics for him."

"We can't go and just take them, Christa." Lee pressed, gesturing over to the locked door. "No way in or out of this place. We just gotta sit tight and keep an eye on him."

"Carver won't put Omid on the bench because he's injured," Nick piped up. "Same goes for Lee. Injured or not, people from this place have to work. You don't work, you don't eat."

"That's what he told us when we first got here." Omid noted.

"They won't starve me though," Christa pointed out. "Not while I'm pregnant. That bastard sees our baby as some sort of saviour, but I ain't letting him get his hands on them."

"Don't worry, Christa." Omid smiled, placing a hand on hers.

Christa remained quiet after that, appearing to be deep in thought before Nick asked. "How's Luke?"

"He's over by the tables. He seemed to be taking your supposed death easily when those assholes came."

"Luke was never one for showing his emotions," Nick countered. "He always bottled it up, just like before this happened."

With that said, Nick stood up and made his way over to the tables where his best friend was sitting, leaving the four alone with themselves. Lee readjusted himself as he felt his back ache, looking around before noticing Walter walking over to them, offering him a faint smile as the older man sat down in Nick's chair. Christa seemed distrusting of the new arrival, but accepted his presence when she shot Lee a look, only receiving a nod as response. Turning his attention back to Walter, Lee smiled and asked. "How you doing, Walt?"

"I'm fine, though I suppose I should be the one asking you. What did they do to you?"

"They just roughed me up a bit," Lee brushed off once more, though Walter frowned at this as he pointed out. "That doesn't look like nothing to me, Lee. They've broke your nose!"

"I said I'm fine."

"Alright then. I introduced myself to your friends when those men put me in here with Nick, they told me they were your friends."

"They are."

"We've known Lee for a while now," Christa explained. "There were more of us but..."

"It's a sad time when you lose the people you care about." Walter sighed, saddened as he though of his own losses. "I was with someone before Lee came to the lodge I was staying in. He's still out there, but he could be hurt."

"All the more reason we should try to escape this place." Lee insisted.

"It's too dangerous to try that now, with how you and Omid are. We should buy our time, heal up, and then we can start thinking about escaping." Christa scolded.

"Wait while that asshole works us all to death?!"

"We've got no other choice." Omid agreed. "We'll have to wait."

"In the meantime, you should get some rest. You're hurt badly, Lee, and you don't want to be exhausted for the work they're gonna make you do." Christa insisted.

"I'm alrig-"

"Lee." Her tone was sharp, insisting on that one word. "I wasn't asking you. You can't keep going on like you are now, go and rest. We'll talk to you when breakfast comes."

Lee didn't argue anymore, he knew that Christa wouldn't budge when she wanted something done, and so he just nodded silently. Standing up slowly, he gave a quiet night to them all and made his way to the makeshift bed, noticing Sarah sadly watching him before turning her gaze back to the others. Reaching the beds, Lee grimace at how uncomfortable they looked, moving the thin blanket provided to find that his mattress was basically the wooden slats of the shelves, sighing to himself as he sat down on the edge. Lying down across it, he placed his head on the thin pillow and pulled the blanket up so that it cover most of him, and yet that still didn't stem most of the cold. He was thankful at least that Sarah returned his jacket, the thing offering some warmth was the biting frost.

He just laid on his back, staring up at the bed above him, willing himself to sleep for the few hours he had before he would be put to work with the others. He found himself terrified of his position, and yet sleep came quickly as he closed his eyes and drifted off to dreamless sleep.


	17. First Day

It wasn't easy, getting used to the nightmares, the anger and guilt ripping apart every limb, every cell of his body and devouring his mind, like the monsters around them did. And all he could do was tell himself among his own ragged breathing that it all wasn't real, something that years ago he could've believed. Once he wakes up he finds himself stuck in the middle of a destroyed town, and the blood on his hands it's dark and fresh, all he can hear is static forcing through his ears, banging against his temples. A little girl suddenly appears in front of him, faceless, and yet he feels she's looking right into his soul. He extends his hand to her.

"C...Clementine?"

-f-

"Breakfast chickies! Come on, up and at 'em!" Kristina yelled while clapping her hands, making sure everyone at the pen could hear her.

Lee's eyes opened as he was awoken from his sleep, almost hitting his head with the planks of the bed above him, feeling his body stiff and covered in cold sweat. Not to mention the headache he got by hearing the "Clap, clap!", and the static still somehow echoing in his mind. Exhaustion beckoned him to remain where he laid, and yet his stomach forced him out for food, growling out, and Kristina saying they would be having breakfast didn't help much. Glancing to his side, he noticed that Clementine's hat was still on the pillow, having not moved since he first went to bed. He grabbed it, pulling the treasured object closer to himself as he closed his eyes momentarily, before he placed it under his pillow for safe keeping.

Groaning in pain, he slowly lifted himself from his makeshift bed, his back aching before he stood up; moving from side to side in a vain attempt to crack it, god, it felt like he got beaten up all over again. Glancing around, he noticed everyone standing over at the opened door, watched by Dwight and Kristina and other guards around them; all with their guns pointed to make sure no one did anything out of order. The cold hit him full force without the blanket, and he couldn't help but wonder if the rest of Howe's was as bad as this place, which barely a roof to keep the rain out, It was despairing thinking about how they were trapped in this place, and he began to drift to how the others were taking it. Was Sarah alright? She was scared, but how much was lurking below the surface? She'd probably got used to live like this… Where was she, anyway? He couldn't see her or Nick around.

Passing the small fire that had gone out, he trudged to Christa's side, staring as the guards started shouting out orders. Lilly was not one of them, he noted, and he found himself wondering where she was. He tried to not care, but he couldn't help the curiosity get the better of him. At least, he was glad Tess wasn't around, the pain on his body was already killing him, so he was sure as hell he didn't want to see her today.

He managed to catch the last of what Dwight was shouting. "Don't do any funny business, don't try to run and don't even think you can try to escape. We can and will shoot you before you even reach the exit. Now, with the rules set, let's head up for breakfast and then the rest of you will be put to work!"

"Let's move!" Kristina ordered, taking the lead with Dwight whilst the other guards flanked the prisoners on each side. Omid winced as he began walking, Christa got to his side and tried to help her boyfriend; the two of them trying to keep up with the others' pace. The change of movement slowed down Lee and Walter's speed, as well as that for people behind them. The two slowed down to check on the couple; causing the guards on the sides to match and some of the people groaned in annoyance. Dwight noticed this and stopped with Kristina in tow, turning around before he snapped. "If we don't get to the restaurant then none of us are getting food. Let's keep up the pace!"

"She is pregnant, Dwight." Kristina noted in a soft tone before Lee could answer in a not so friendly manner. She put Dwight's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down before she glanced over at Omid. "Her boyfriend isn't in good shape either."

"You wanna try to explain that to Carver?" Dwight shot back. "You were the one who put that guy in that state anyway, Krissy."

She fell quiet after that, though the hurt look on her face suggested that Dwight went too far to bring that up. After a few awkward seconds, he took her silence as the end of the conversation before he began to walk again, forcing everyone back into motion once more. Lee turned to Christa and muttered. "You guys alright?"

"No, but there's not much we can do."

"It'll be alright, Christa." Omid smiled, groaning in pain before he continued. "I could go for a nice meal right no-"

"I said no talking!" Dwight scolded, not even looking at them. Kristina didn't say anything, but she did nudge him in his arm with her shoulder, the two sharing a look before he turned away, and Lee thought it was amazing how she, even with being so small, could be fierce enough to look more intimidating and bigger than the man with just one glare. Even the expression on Dwight's face changed, as if he was mentally scolding himself, it reminded him so much of…

No, there was no time for that, Lee shook his head, feeling his stomach twitch and his headache growing stronger, he had no time for this.

There was no talking after that, and so Lee bottled up his feelings and instead focused on looking at his surroundings, noting that they were by the doctor's room that he'd visited hours ago. Right beside it was an abandoned shop, that had been repurposed as a room; complete with a bed, nightstand and some of the occupant's possessions, a book sitting on the bed catching Lee's eye, he wondered if he could somehow ever get a nice room at one of the stores, anything would be better than the makeshift prison he'd been forced to be in, anyway. There was a fountain in the middle of the first floor, surrounded with a little space to sit on, by its sides were the flight of stairs that he walked up to Carver's office the day before.

There was also another shutter door by one of the corner, closed by… _Luke?_ He was wearing different clothes and had a gun on his hand, if Lee had never seen him before he would've believed it was just another guard, the boy was talking through a walkie-talkie as he walked towards other room. Lee couldn't hear what he was saying, and before he could even begin to wonder what could be there in first place, Dwight and Kristina were leading the group up the stairs as they jogged up the steps.

"Wait, I think I'm gonna need some help here!" Omid shouted in a joking way, though the fact he was standing there meant that he really needed help. Lee extended his hand as a sign to let everyone behind him know they needed to go up first, so he could help Omid up without slowing them down again, and allowing Christa a break as she followed behind them, he was surprised to see Kristina coming down and offering to help her. Christa seemed reluctant, not accepting it until she groaned and clutched her stomach, the baby kicking at that moment and causing its mother some discomfort.

"Let me help you, it's okay." The girl said in a low voice. Looking back at the guard, Christa accepted her help and allowed Kristina to hold her hand, the other hand resting on her back before the two of them carried on after the others.

Dwight was watching this with a stoic expression, waiting as Kristina helped Christa up to the top and for Lee to follow with Omid in tow while everyone else entered the place Lee supposed was where they would be getting their food, he turned around once they were close, and Lee could swear he caught a glimpse of a smile on the man's face.

On the second floor, there were more shops than Lee saw on the ground below, a toy store catching his eye with a few stuffed animals still left in; obviously not being put to use by Howe's yet. A sitting area right beside them was complete with benches and potted plants, a beautiful and fancy restaurant in front of them. The sound of laughing and talking reached Lee's ears as he followed the guards into it, surprised to find that people could be happy in this place.

Inside the restaurant wasn't anything like he imagined as well, actually being light and airy with opened doors that led to a balcony outside, and people sitting at the tables talking to each other, some of them were families eating happily with their kids. It felt detached from the atmosphere of misery back at the pen. The walls were a dark brown with beige columns, with colorful lamps on the ceiling, at the tables there were small tablecloths and the fanciness of it contrasted with the plastic plates and cutlery. Lee could tell these people were doing their best to keep the place going, but he still expected the food to be as terrible as everything he's eaten the past months, although the whole place smelled pretty good, which made his stomach growl louder. After entering the place everyone went to sit at the tables, even Kristina and Dwight put the guns on their backs and went straight to the kitchen.

Two of the guards remained at the door, keeping watch as Lee stood there; unsure to where he could sit. Christa and Omid brushed past him, making their way to an empty table on the balcony outside; being followed as Lee glanced over at the counter where people were getting their food. Behind it was a beautiful amber-coloured wall, and standing there was a black man; his clothes covered by a dirty apron, and yet he smiled at Lee when he noticed the latter staring at him. The guy then looked over to his side, and Lee spotted a smaller girl that he immediately recognized to be Sarah. She too spotted Lee and smiled brightly, waving at him enthusiastically, which was responded to with a small smile; before Lee reached the doors leading to the balcony. Outside was nothing like he thought it would be. The tables were as fancy as they were inside, despite the plastic plates and cutlery, and the view was peaceful and stunning instead of the carnage he was so used to. The trees stretched to the horizon, and hid away whatever danger that lurked within it, with a city far away being the only civilisation that Lee could see; its tallest buildings being the only ones to poke through the trees. Clementine would've loved it.

"It's so beautiful…" Christa awed, before her voice changed into something more bitter. "It's almost as if dead things weren't eating people."

"It is breathtaking." A new voice agreed, turning out to be Walter as he sat down in the chair beside Omid, still staring at the view as he continued. "It's as good as the view back at the lodge…"

"What was it like?" Christa asked, curious about the place. "I wish me and Omid could have seen it for ourselves."

"Me and Matthew found it when this all started, and we decided to stay there. We had food, there was first aid kits that we could use, and it was far away from cities. We didn't have to worry much about the walkers until they started wandering into the forests." Walter explained.

"Seems the cities weren't the only places swarming with walkers. I thought the countryside would at least be safer." Christa muttered, saddened by this point. Omid stared at her sympathetically, before he looked down at the chairs and smirked.

"You'd think they'd be feeding us on plastic chairs in the corner." He joked, though the look from his girlfriend showed that she didn't find it amusing. Lee scowled at the view as he sat down, resting his arms on the table as Omid pointed out. "Maybe this place isn't as bad as we feared."

"Then why did they escape? A gilded prison is still a prison." Lee snapped, unable to stop the seething anger from lacing his words. "We shouldn't trust anyone."

"Not everyone is Carver, Lee." Christa scolded, leaning back into her chair as she stared off into the distance. Walter seemed unaffected by Lee's anger, leaning on his hand as he played with his plastic fork, no other words being spoken by him or the pregnant woman. Lee sighed bitterly as he too leaned back into his chair, staring down at his empty plate whilst his stomach grumbled. He wondered when their food would get there, and was about to voice this when he was cut off by a cheerful voice.

"Here's your food!" Turning around, he couldn't but smile when he saw Sarah, who had a large tray that was full of scrambled eggs. The smell was mouth-watering for Lee, he expected to get a loaf of stale bread or something, and he was caught off-guard when the food was already on plate. He dove straight in as he scooped some of the eggs up with his fork, eating away as Sarah continued. "Gabriel made these with the chickens we keep upstairs, isn't that cool? I helped cook them and he even said I could be a great cook if I keep practicing!"

"That's great, Sarah." Christa praised, taking a mouthful of the eggs before she hummed. "Well, you did a great job with these eggs."

The compliment made Sarah's smile widen, before she looked back into the restaurant. Lee followed her gaze, spotting Gabriel standing behind the counter staring right at her, pointing to the other tables before laughing. Sarah finished scooping the eggs into Walter's plate before she explained. "I gotta go do more tables now, but Nick said he wanted to talk to you after today's jobs."

"Where is he?" Lee asked, noting that he didn't see said companion anywhere within the restaurant.

"He got his breakfast earlier with me," Sarah explained. "He went to his first job. I think it's in the greenhouse"

"Alright then. Now go and do the rest of the tables, sweetie." Lee smiled as Sarah nodded and went back into the restaurant. Everyone ate in silence, enjoying the sound of birds tweeting in the trees surrounding Howe's; giving an air of serenity that was strange to the group. This moment felt as peaceful in the lodge, except where they exactly were never left the back of Lee's mind, and he could feel his appetite receding. There were still some eggs remaining when he put his fork down, having lost all of the hunger that was agonizing a few minutes ago, and this didn't go unnoticed by his friends.

"I thought you'd be hungry, Lee." Walter noted, putting his own fork down onto his plate. "You hadn't eaten anything since back in the lodge."

"You alright, man?" Omid joined in, his face concerned.

"Yeah, yeah." Lee brushed off, fiddling with his food as he mumbled. "Just not that hungry now."

"You haven't come down with anything, have you?" Christa asked, her voice tinged with a bit of fear.

"I don't think so." Lee sounded uncertain, and fear began to set in as he remembered back to how fast Pete's health deteriorated. He may not have a bad leg, but his face still hurt, and he couldn't breathe through his nose at all. The bleeding had stopped and yet it was still as swollen as it was when Tess booted him in the face. He didn't know how long it would take for the swelling to go down, but he began to feel self-conscious when someone pointed it out. Turning to Christa, he couldn't help but ask. "Is my face bad?"

She didn't reply for a few awkward seconds, though the expression on her face was enough. "It's swollen to hell. Haven't you seen your reflection, yet?"

"No, I didn't exactly have much time to find a mirror." Lee replied sarcastically, though he felt a little guilty for snapping. He was in pain, tired as hell and being locked up in this place like animals was not helping. Omid glanced over at Christa, the two of them not saying a word as Lee just covered his bruised face with his hands. Everything was silent between them, only the sound of the birds and the laughter all around the place, and Lee drew further in on himself for what it felt like hours. He would have remained like this longer, if not for an enraged bark coming from the doorway. "Lee!"

He uncovered his eyes and peered over, his jaw clenching tight when he saw Tess standing there with a glare that no one could match in its sheer hatred. His voice was dry as he cracked. "Yeah?"

"Get your ass up and get it down to Jack's office! He's been fucking annoying me about having someone to move his shit to his new quarters!" She ordered, waving her gun at the door before snapping. "Get your fucking ugly face down there now! I got better things to do than chaperone you!"

In fear of what punishments would be getting if he didn't obeyed, he went with Tess. Before standing up, he felt Christa's hand on his own. "Good luck" She muttered with a comforting smile, only to return to her food when she saw Tess getting impatient.

The two exited the restaurant, leaving behind the happy chatter and laughter for just intense silence, Lee just staring at Tess' back as they reached the top of the stairs. The silence was a welcome compared to the usual snapping and thinly-veiled death threats he previously got from her.

"Hey!" Tess shouted while going down the stairs, staring at Jack, who was waiting outside the door he'd seen Luke close earlier. "Here's your helper for today!"

Grabbing Lee by the arm, she tugged him forward past her and towards Jack, causing him to stumble the last few steps and almost plummet to the floor. Jack was quick to catch him, though the sheer weight and momentum of Lee caused both of them to fall down. The younger man yelped when Lee landed on top of him, all the air being knocked out of his lungs as he wheezed, stuck before Lee managed to lift himself up. Standing back up, he offered a hand to Jack, who accepted it whilst Tess mocked. "Such a lovely couple! I can't wait for the wedding."

"That's enough, Tess." Jack scolded, finally getting to his feet before he faced her. "What were you thinking?! You could have seriously hurt one of us!"

"Shame. I will have to correct that next time." She pouted, pretending to be shameful. "Let's just go to the office, I'd rather not babysit this asshole longer than I have to."

"How are you feeling, Lee, you okay?" Jack asked, unable to stop himself from staring at the man's face. Lee scowled, he knew Jack's intentions were good, but that morning everyone kept pointing out how bad he looked.

"Gotta be."

"Did you manage to get some sleep?" Jack continued to question. "I wouldn't have asked for you to help, but I can keep a better eye on your condition than if you were somewhere else."

Lee's thoughts jumped to the nightmare he had. "Yeah...Thanks"

"That's good." Jack smiled, though the look on his face signalled that this was awkward for him. Without another word, he opened the door beside him and gestured for Lee to enter, waiting for Tess to enter when she just snapped. "Don't think so. I ain't standing there while you two gossip like two old ladies, I got better things to do."

"Bill said that someone should be with the new people at all times." Jack frowned, the tone in his voice not very pressing, so he wasn't really insisting that Tess stayed. She didn't pick it up thankfully, and she just shrugged her shoulders with a dismissive expression.

"You're there. If he goes crazy and stabs you with a pair of scissors, then radio someone. You radio me if you're not dead, and I'll stab you myself." With that, she just turned around and walked down the hallway, leaving Jack alone with Lee. The young doctor just sighed in annoyance, letting the door close behind him as he walked past Lee. He just stood there, glancing around the office whilst Jack was busy sorting some things out.

The office was fairly big, and was decorated better than the other room he went to have his injuries treated, with a high ceiling and large windows that let the light in; giving the room a warm feeling. There were shelves stacked with books, both medical that Howe's people must have scavenged as well as fictional books; something that might have belonged to Sarah, the first book he gave to her back at the cabin jumping to Lee's mind. There were more makeshift beds in there than in Jack's office, the cloths covering them mostly clean save an unsavoury blood stain on the one nearest Lee, causing his stomach to drop as he imagined what took place there. Shaking it from his mind, he moved towards a desk in front of the windows, rivalling Carver's desk size, noticing papers spewed across it messily. Some had long medical names scribbled in hasty handwriting, others had names of people with what looked like injuries and treatments given to them, spotting Nick's name written down, with the treatment detailing a deep gash on his arm, as well as going into detail about the stitching. He made a note that Jack's suturing skills were getting better, the writing hinting to a sense of pride in Carlos' words.

There was a photo on the desk, the wooden frame was bigger than the picture inside it. In it was Sarah, to her left was Jack, his arm extended trying taking the picture, and to her right there was a man with black hair and beard, wearing a red and black flannel shirt, his arm thrown around the little girl's shoulder, giving a warm smile, all them outside Howe's, the sky behind them bright and golden. Lee stared at the man for a moment, before it dawned on him that he was in fact Carlos, recalling back to the picture Sarah showed him when they first met. He bowed his head momentarily, paying respect to him in silence, before Jack noticed his staring and explained.

"That's..." Jack fell quiet for a couple of seconds, taking the picture as Lee passed it to him. "That's Carlos, he was some kind of mentor to me. When I first came here, I thought he was gonna be one of those hardcore mentors when I first looked at him, and yet he was one of the nicest guys I knew. He knew what to say to me to make me feel better when I told him about what happened before, I guess he just thought of me like a son… He was kinda like a father to me."

"How are you and Sarah?" Lee asked, curious to the friendship between the doctor and the girl in question. "She talked about you in the Pen."

"She's sweet. Carlos never really properly introduced us, she just came into our office one day and wouldn't leave, began asking questions whilst I was trying to stitch some guy's arm up. She reminds me of how things used to be before, and you can't help but smile everytime she's with you."

Lee just glanced at the picture in Jack's hands, and winced when he thought about Carlos. He tried hard to fight the involuntary action. Glancing away, Lee occupied himself with the medical equipment on the table, not looking at him as Jack muttered.

"I'm gonna be honest with you, Lee" His voice became shaky. "I know Carlos… He's not coming back, but Sarah's still waiting for him to come home anytime, and I'm terrified of the moment she finds out, of how much it'll _hurt_ her."

"How did you find out?" Lee asked, shocked to find out that Jack already knew. He grabbed one of the small boxes around and continued packing.

"From Dwight. He was there, wasn't he? At your people's last place before you came here? He told Kristina about it, and it so happened to be when I was treating a bite on her leg." he explained, packing up the medical equipment that Lee was staring at. "You met them?"

"They were guarding the gate into the Pen. So, yeah." Lee grumbled, before he recalled something that Jack just said. "You said Kristina had a bite on her leg?"

"Yeah. She was patrolling with Dwight one night, and someone didn't close the gate properly, I guess. A walker got in, and she didn't notice until it latched on her leg. I managed to get it off pretty quick but she was incapacitated for weeks, and Dwight was miserable. He wanted to stay with her, make sure she was alright, but Bill wouldn't have two guards out of action."

"Did you guys ever find out who left the gate open?" Lee questioned, curious in this tale, as he pushed the small box away and began packing a new one.

"Eventually, this guy just broke down and said he was responsible for what happened, said he couldn't take the guilt of what happened to Kristina. Bill said he had to be punished for his incompetence, and I think the guy wished it was only Bill who knew. Once Dwight found out…" Jack paused, appearing to be deep in thought as he finished packing the equipment in the box, putting it on the floor before he continued. "It took two of our guys to pry Dwight off the poor fucker. He was so pissed, and I couldn't blame him. Kristina is the only thing good left for him, and she nearly died because some guy didn't know how to close a gate."

"What did Carver do with him?" Passing another box to Jack so he could begin with the medicines, Lee immediately remembered the places they'd seen and how awful their leaders were, the horrible things the did just for the sake of surviving, the sick mentality of Crawford, he really didn't expect Carver to be any different. Jack punched in the code for the safe, grabbing the packets of pills as he thought about Lee's question, his voice having a matter-of-fact tone as he replied. "He's outside the walls."

"He just let him go?"

"You didn't see outside the walls?" Jack asked, his face shocked at this fact. "Yet again, you most probably came here in the truck."

He closed the safe after removing the last of the medicines, before he turned back around to face Lee. "Outside these walls are walkers. Bill keeps them tied up, says they scare away bandits and whatnot like some sort of fucked up scarecrow. What he doesn't tell you is that some of those walkers are our own people who have died, and they've turned. It's something of a ghost story here, but it's true. You get sick or injured and I can't fix you… You're just tied up to replace old decayed ones. You fuck up and get someone killed, then you are tied up and left to rot. A life for a life, as Bill would put it."

"And people just accept this!?" Lee gasped, disgusted at this new information.

"Why would they rebel? You take down the leader, and someone else will just take their place. You think you can make this place great, and be fair and kind to your people, but this isn't what it was like before. You start having to do terrible things to survive, to protect the ones you care about, and eventually… it consumes you. It's how Bill went."

"Not everything is as lost as people make it out to be." Lee countered. "If we've lost our humanity along the way, then what's the point of surviving?"

"But how do you keep your humanity if you've lost everything else?" Jack pointed out, pushing another box over to the other ones, which were all put together carefully on a few dollies. "Haven't you lost someone close to you?"

This caused Lee's chest to tighten, his mind flashing pictures of everyone he loved and lost, of Clementine slowly drifting away on his arms. He gulped before glaring down at Jack. "Y-Yeah. I've lost more people than I care to think about, and maybe I think that's my fault. I know this though, I would _never_ lower myself to Carver's level."

"It's too hard to think about what it was like before, and I hate to think about the future we got here." Jack backed down, not looking as Lee as he muttered quietly. "Not everyone can go through loss and come out the other side as the same person they were before. And death doesn't care about anyone, it just takes everything it can away."

Lee was about to answer before his vision began to blur terribly, accompanied with that same _damn static_ he'd heard during his nightmare, a terrible wave of nausea that made his stomach churn; the sudden feeling of wanting to vomit hitting him full force. He couldn't stop himself as he staggered, his hand finding the support of the table as he emptied the contents of his breakfast on the floor, the bitter taste of the stomach acid burning his throat and the back of his mouth. His chest and abdomen ached with the forced movement, and his head felt like it was being repeatedly hit with a hammer. He felt a hand on his back guiding him to straighten himself, seeing a blurred image of Jack as he was forced to sit on one of the surgery tables, the young doctor trying to grab his attention as he voice echoed. "Lee? Lee, can you hear me? Nod if you can hear me."

He tried to will himself to do it, but it felt like his mind was completely disconnected from his body, and he was helpless as he just stared off into space, he shook his head as an answer. Jack seemed scared by this lack of cooperation, as his voice cracked when he snapped. "Why didn't I see this earlier?! It looks like you got a concussion! What do I do?! Alright, alright, think." Jack muttered " Carlos taught you some things, you can do this…"

He took a deep breath before he began explaining. "You need rest, but I don't think Bill will give you it. The best I can do is give you some drugs for the pain, maybe I can radio in and see if you can get one of the more easygoing jobs."

Jack disappeared as he went over to the walkie talkie he left on the table, picking it up as he started talking into it. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"I'm here," a familiar voice called in, Lee's heart skipped a beat, in his state of unawareness he'd almost expected to hear the voice of the man he'd met back in Savannah. "What's up?"

"It's the new guy, Lee. I didn't diagnose that he's got a concussion, and now he's spewed all over my floor. He's not responding, and I can't take him back to the Pen, Bill won't like it. Could you escort him to the greenhouse?"

"The greenhouse?" Lee managed to ask, finding it difficult to concentrate and find enough air to get the words out.

"Frank and Beth are good people, they'll understand that you can't do much. I'd rather have you pruning bushes than working with the horses, or on construction." Jack explained, staring over at Lee as he awaited the reply. "Alicia will escort you there, and I can come and examine you later on when you're done."

Lee felt slightly better knowing it was Alicia coming to escort him, instead of Tess, as he instinctively rubbed the side of his face softly due to the flesh still being tender. Jack was about to say something, when his radio came to life once more, and Alicia's replied. "I'll be down in a minute. Where's Tess?"

"She left us as soon as we got here." Jack explained bitterly. "I don't trust her here, anyway. If she was here when Lee took a spill, I dread to think how she would react."

"Wasn't she the one who put Lee in that condition?"

"Yeah, tried to justify it by saying he killed Mike." Lee's memory jumped back to the guy he shot back in the lodge, the sound of him hitting the floor at the bottom of the stairs still loud in his ears. He could hear Tess frantically telling Dwight to get them, and considering he knew that Mike was her brother, he felt his stomach dropped at the thought of her intention. She would have probably shot him, and Matthew to boot, and he felt grateful that at least Dwight was the one to catch them. "I don't care if he did or he didn't. Those two were just as bad as each other, though now we gotta deal with her whining about it."

"Mike may have been an asshole, but he still was her brother!" Alicia tried to defend. "I might not like her, but I don't know what she's going through."

"We've all lost someone, Alicia." Jack snapped. "It doesn't give you the excuse to beat people to that degree."

There was no reply for a few seconds, the static loud as he waited for her response, before she quietly agreed. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Be there in a second, first I'll check if Luke can help you instead."

The walkie talkie then went silent as Jack placed his back on the table, turning his attention back to Lee as he just stared off into outer space. He caught the name that Alicia mentioned, and recalled spotting someone resembling Luke back when they were being taken up for breakfast. He didn't know why Luke was out of the Pen, and it finally dawned on him that Luke wasn't with them back in the Pen. Sarah mentioned she and Nick went early because they had work, and yet she never mentioned Luke being with them. What was going on?

The two just stood there silent, the tension in the air after that confession thick enough that it could have been cut with a knife, Lee just retreating into his self-wallowing once more. The birds were chirping outside, the only sound to break the otherwise heavy silence, and accompanied with the sunlight gave the room an almost tranquil atmosphere. This was all shattered when a loud knock on the door caught the two survivors' attention; Jack briskly walking to the door before he opened it, pleased to see Alicia standing there with someone Lee did not recognize.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Jack. I couldn't find Luke" She apologized, entering the room with the young girl in tow. "And I had to grab this little one. She's gonna be replacing Lee, but I wouldn't have her pushing the cart."

"No problem. You can help me with the boxes, can't you?" he smiled, kneeling to the child's level. She glanced away shyly, hiding behind Alicia's legs as the doctor just chuckled. Lee to smiled at this cute display, unable to stop thinking about how Clementine used to do that when they first met, but his expression changed when he noticed that the child was staring at him then; her face shifting to a frightened expression as his injuries must have scared her. Alicia noticed her staring, glancing over at Lee as she realized the extent of his injuries, though she was unable to keep the gaze as she mumbled to the child. "Go and help Jack, okay?"

She nodded, moving from the shelter of the guard's legs and towards Jack, shyly taking his hand and being led to the packed boxes whilst Alicia walked over to Lee. She sympathetically smiled at him, though he just sadly glanced over at the child again, before muttering. "We better get going. I'd rather not stay here."

"Yeah, Bill wouldn't want you just sitting around." Alicia agreed, not meeting Lee's eyes as she added. "I'm sorry Tess did that to you. It wasn't right."

"Can't do much about it now, what's done is done. Best I can do is make sure she doesn't have a reason to do it again, to me or my people." Lee shrugged off, not in the mood to be pitied because of what happened to him. Pushing himself off the bed, he just nodded to Alicia and began to follow her as the two moved to the office door. Alicia paused though, moving her head past Lee's shoulder as she called out. "Katy?"

The young girl looked over in response, her big brown eyes staring straight at them from behind black bangs. Alicia smiled as she continued. "Mommy is just gonna take Lee to the greenhouse, and then she'll be right back. Be good until then, okay?"

The child nodded before being distracted by Jack, the doctor keeping one eye on the two adults as they exited the office, the door closing to separate them from the room inside. The hallway had more guards in it then, most probably already having finished their breakfast and getting on with their daily tasks, some of the survivors passing Lee and Alicia as she turned to him. "The greenhouse is just this way. The people running it are Frank and Beth, nice people, and you should be able to handle a few bushes, yeah?"

"Yeah." He simply stated, not saying another word as Alicia just turned around, starting to follow her when he noticed someone standing in the distance watching them. It took him a moment to realize that the person was in fact Sarah, the teenage girl just watching them with a devastated face, causing him to stand there confused until he realized exactly whose office he just left. He just watched with a worried expression as Sarah ran up to them, repeatedly looking at him then the office, before finally settling on staring at him as she gasped. "W-What are you doing?!"

"Sarah. Jack needs to move all the equipment from your father's office to his, we need all the stuff in one place." Alicia tried to explain.

"But what are you gonna do when my dad gets back?" Sarah pointed out, her voice cracking a bit at the mention of her missing parent. "It's gonna be a waste of time moving them only to move them back. Dad doesn't like people touching his stuff, too!"

"Sarah…" Alicia trailed off, unsure on how to handle this situation. "Your dad… Sweetie, he's not-"

"Here right now!" Lee interrupted, ignoring the confused expression on Alicia's face as he continued. "The community needs to think about the now. Jack needs the equipment to treat sick people, doesn't he?"

"I-I guess so."

"Wouldn't it be a pain to keep some equipment in his room and in your dad's room? It'd take longer to treat people who are hurt, and we can't have that."

"But what about when we find him?" Sarah tried to insist.

"Then we can think about giving him back his old office, but until then we gotta do this. Alright?" Lee asked, kneeling down to Sarah as he continued. "I need you to be strong. Can you be strong for your dad?"

"Y-Yeah, I can." Sarah sniffed, staring at the floor with a destroyed look. Lee couldn't help but feel terrible for keeping this big secret from her, but he kept strong by reminding himself that this was for her own good, at least in his mind it was. He didn't know how she would react to finding out her dad is dead, and he's been keeping it a secret for too long to just drop it on her, he had to stay strong for her. Sarah glanced back at him, before she muttered. "Are you okay? I heard that you were si-"

"Sarah!" A strange voice yelled, causing the young teenager to jump suddenly. The two turned to see someone standing by the stairs, a guy to be more specific. His face was tanned and worn, his eyes piercing as he stared straight at Lee and Sarah by the office, his hand resting on the stair railing whilst the other was resting in the pocket of his zipped up hoodie. Dark hair was slicked back, trailing down the back of his head until just above his shoulders, and had a few grey strands poking out amidst the darker strands. "You should be up in the school after kitchen duty. Let's go, we're waiting for you!"

"I-I'll be right there, Oscar!" She squeaked, not even saying goodbye to Lee as she bolted back to the stern man's side. He just stared down at her, gesturing for her to follow him silently before making his way back up the stairs, quickly followed by Sarah; who kept her gaze down at the floor the whole time she was in Lee's sights. After they disappeared from view, he lifted himself back up and turned back around to Alicia, surprised to find her angrily staring back at him.

"What was all that?" she demanded, gesturing her head to the gone Sarah. "Carlos is dead. Why did you stop me from telling her?"

"She doesn't need to know." Lee shot back, angered at this confrontation. "It's none of your business anyway. I'm taking care of Sarah now, and if she finds out that her dad is dead then it'll just kill her. I can't let that happen."

"I know you mean well, Lee." Alicia sighed, her tone losing its biting edge immediately. "I just don't know how long you can keep this from her. Everyone around here already know that Carlos is dead, even Carver, and I don't know if they'll all keep this from her. I'd be careful, someone might use this against you if they hate you enough."

"Don't worry. I'm gonna keep her safe." Lee brushed off, though a hint of doubt began to edge in on the back of his mind. Alicia was right, people are eventually going to talk at the wrong time, and Sarah is gonna find out if they're not careful. This wasn't the time to worry about that, he could talk about this with Christa later and get her opinion then, but he had to go to work before Carver, or worse Tess, finds out that he was not doing anything. Alicia seemed to have the same idea as she just carried on walking down the hall out into the main part of the mall, Lee quickly following her whilst he glanced up at the people standing on the shelves.

"That little girl yours?" He spoke up, desperate to take his mind off the watching eyes. Alicia glanced over her shoulder at him, surprised at the question as if no one ever asked her a question before, until she just smiled and nodded.

"She's my little Katy. We were coming up from visiting my brother down in Georgia, before all this happened anyway…" she explained, though her voice went quiet as she continued. "She's my everything."

"Where's her dad?"

The question made Alicia tense up, her voice cracked as she replied. "He died. Only a few days in before a walker torn his throat clean out, right in front of our daughter. She hasn't spoken since."

"I'm sorry about that." Lee comforted, not looking at her as he added. "I… I lost someone close too."

"Wife?"

"No, no. We stopped seeing each other after… after things went bad. I met someone else a few days into the plague, but it didn't work out."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Alicia responded sympathetically, falling silent after that. The two walked in silence, not looking at each other, before she spoke up once more. "Do you have any children, Lee?"

"I didn't have any, no, but I looked after a little girl I found at the beginning." He explained, his face falling in sorrow. "She… didn't make it either."

"Jesus, I'm so sorry." Alicia gasped, slowing down as she glanced over her shoulder once more. "What was her name?"

"Clementine."

Alicia smiled faintly at the name. "That's a real pretty name."

"She was a good kid. She just wanted her parents, and I wasn't them. Tried to keep her safe, let her still do kid stuff, but in the end I still couldn't protect her…" Lee sighed, staring down at the floor as he continued to walk with Alicia. She frowned sadly at this, unable to think of anything to say that would help him, before she paused just outside a set of double doors to her side. She moved to knock on it, the sound echoing for a few seconds before dying out, and then she turned her attention back to Lee.

"I can empathize with how you're feeling. No one should have to outlive their child, even if their child isn't one of blood." She explained, adopting a genuine smile as she added. "I think you're a good guy, Lee. I kinda wish we met in different circumstances."

"Me too." He replied, returning her smile faintly before the door opened. Turning to the new person, he was greeted with another woman standing there; her platinum blonde hair cut incredibly short, and her dark eyes just staring at Lee before shifting over to Alicia. Her thin body was covered by a worn tank top, with a thin jacket covering her arms and a pair of jeans accompanied by thick boots. One of her hands was resting on the door handle, whilst the other was just hanging by her side, both of them covered in gloves.

"This the guy?" she asked plainly, crossing her arms across her chest as Alicia nodded. "Alright then. Looks like you got me and Frank today, hope you like harvesting shit."

"I'll leave him in your care. Be careful, Jack isn't sure that Lee won't take another spill." Alicia explained, moving away as the woman just nodded. "Don't worry, man. I'm not gonna work him to death."

"Very funny, Beth." she smiled, shooting Lee a final glance as she walked away. "Take it easy!"

She was gone. Lee just stood there, before Beth's voice snapped him out of his trance. "So, you wanna go harvest carrots, now?"

He didn't reply, and instead just stared at his new supervisor, who chuckled at this and waved her hand to signal him to follow her. "Come on, it's easy. Otherwise Frank wouldn't have been able to do it. I'll show you."


	18. Harvest Season

The greenhouse was impressive, filled with rows and rows of tables with growing plants placed on top. The plastic sheets making the roof allowed the sunlight to shine in for them and filled the room with fresh air. The walls were makeshift with sheets of metal, huge pieces of solid wood propped up that were anchored into the concrete and were sturdy enough to give a sense of security about the giant room. The sun rested warm on Lee's shoulders and bathed the greenhouse in a hazy glow, the room had a bright appearance compared to the gloomy and depressed atmosphere from inside the main building, and it didn't feel as bittersweet as back at the restaurant, which Lee found pretty relieving. Glancing around, he noticed Nick looming over some crops with another guy, who was shorter than his friend.

The blonde girl marched ahead of him as she tapped the man's shoulder. "We got company, F."

He noticed this and turned around, giving Lee a full view of him. Wrinkles adorned his face, with dark skin that shone a soft colour in the sunlight, as well as hazel eyes and short black hair, shaved to the sides. His jacket was much thicker than the one worn by Beth, a faded green colour with dirt smudged into the fabric and the zipper pulled up all the way. His pants were dirty too, and torn along the kneecaps with blood stains dried into the clothes, the bottom of his pants frayed as they sat over his once white sneakers; by then greyed and dirty from the long months that have passed. His hands, gloved too, were clutching on the crops that he and Nick were tending before Lee's arrival. Carrots, chunky orange vegetables that he thought he would never see again, and had found himself salivating at the thought of having a hearty stew with vegetables and meats, cooked like how his mother cooked her stew during those family get-togethers.

Nick, having noticed Lee behind him, turned his head to look at him, giving Lee a sympathetic smile, the man nodded at him and waved his hand in response, until the man responded.

"What are we gonna do with him? He looks like he's ready to collapse right there!" Frank questioned, his tone suggesting annoyance at this inconvenience. "I don't want any more shit from Bill for people slacking off whilst they're with us."

"Have some decency, F. " Beth scolded, crossing her arms as she stared at her companion with annoyance.

"Decency won't get these crops to grow, only hard work will!" Frank shot back, before he gestured to the rows of crops that lined the greenhouse. "What's Bill gonna have us do with these? Huh? We can't preserve them, only two people actually know what they're doing and we haven't got space to grow enough food for the whole community! We got 20 plus, then there's including the children, the horses and the other livestock!"

"Well, Bill said we were moving more into the forests? The soil would be packed with nutrients for our crops." Beth pointed out, seemingly unaffected by Frank's understandable frustration.

"That'll help." Frank snarled sarcastically, making Beth roll her eyes at the comment. "How are we gonna remove all the trees needed for our plantations alone? And safely, might I add? The forests are outside our walls, and Bill would have people risk their lives chopping down trees for more room?"

"Why are you so negative about this place?" She accused, standing her ground as she jabbed her finger at him. "You have a roof over your head, food in your stomach and not having to keep a constant eye over your shoulder for walkers or worse! Things might be bad now, but they're better than before, and I believe Bill will help us through this!"

"And you know this how?" Nick hissed, enraged by the young girl defending Carver. Lee opened his mouth to join him and protest too but quickly closed it, not wanting to get in any argument. His headache was almost gone and he was sure as hell he didn't want it back, so he just stood there, silently waiting for Beth to answer.

Beth glanced over to Nick, her face pulled tight into a scowl and her cold green eyes piercing into his, before she unfolded her arms dramatically, placing them on her waist instead. "He hasn't failed us yet. Some of his ways are a bit…" She fell quiet for a moment, eyes still locked to Nick's, but she seemed she couldn't find the right words to defend the man.

 _What a shocker._ Lee thought, raising an eyebrow as she continued. "Unorthodox, yeah, but everything he is doing is for the good of the community."

"He doesn't care about any of us!" Nick countered.

"Hey! You might not be on good grounds with him after what happened to your mother, Nick, and you can say that he's made mistakes, but don't you _dare_ tell me that he doesn't care about us! He's done more for me than anyone I have ever known. He even searched for all of you after you escaped!" Beth defended, moving over to other crops before she paused. Glancing back at Nick, she adopted a softer tone and expression as she finished. "Don't blame him for what happened to her, Nick."

"Don't bring _**her**_ into this!" Nick warned, his voice adopting a low tone and a sharp edge, his fists pressed so hard that it was turning his knuckles white, and his body was showing that he was ready to verbally fight, but before he could say anything else, Frank stepped in.

"Right, I've had enough!" Frank yelled, glancing over at Lee; who was just standing there during the whole conversation, not really sure what to do. "You, go and watch Beth with the crops, see if you can pick up a thing or two. Nick, let's get back to this harvest, and I'll see if we have enough to feed the damn horses." He said as he walked away, gently dragging the taller man with him.

"How is pest-control?" Beth called over, visibly pleased that the situation had been diffused.

Frank paused as he glanced over his shoulder, his tired expression showing exactly what the answer would be. "We've lost crops to the damn parasites again, and those that have survived are proving disappointing so far."

"Which crops haven't you done?"

"Row D to J. I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"Thanks for the warning." She muttered in frustration, before she just shook her head and gestured for Lee to walk down the aisle of plants with her. He obeyed, trudging after her as he glanced at the pots of dirt that their food supply was growing in, unable to stop disappointment when he saw exactly how bad their circumstances were. Frank was right, the vegetables were pitiful, some of them dainty and others suffering from pests like aphids. He noticed that all of the pots were labelled for the vegetables that they were growing; potatoes, carrots, even brussel sprouts, the paper that the names were written on wrinkled and some torn completely, Beth mumbling as she picked on of the torn pieces of the ground. "We're gonna need a better way of labelling these."

"Are things really this bad?" Lee asked, still staring at the pots of vegetables. "I mean I'm not a farmer but…"

"We just gotta keep a brave face. Too many hungry mouths to feed, can't go feeling sorry for ourselves. Besides, if we can find farming supplies somewhere, fertilizer or something, we can get better crops from it, or even pesticide!" she shrugged, pausing to analyse some brussel sprouts that were lagging behind the rest. "I hoped there were more farmers like me and F here, but we just gotta use what we have."

"So, what are we growing?"

"Mostly winter vegetables, you know, carrots, onions, shit like that." Beth explained, glancing up at the open roof and frowning. "We ain't gonna get much without a greenhouse, but Bill said that we're looking to putting one in now that the solar panels are ready."

"Solar panels?" Lee asked, surprised at the thought of having electricity again.

"Yeah, Nathan got them fixed this morning after some rough weather damaged them." She smiled, pausing as she glanced over her shoulder at Lee. "You met him, yet?"

Shaking his head, he watched as she smiled brightly, stopping at a row of unharvested crops. "He's our engineer, came in a few weeks into the plague. You can't really miss him, tanned, tall, handso- I mean, looks like he hasn't slept for years."

"Alright…" Lee trailed off, unsure on how to respond to that near slip up, though the flush going across her cheeks signalled her embarrassment. It was slightly awkward for him actually, as the girl was young enough to be his daughter, so he just looked at the unharvested crops and quickly changed the subject. "So you actually know how to do this stuff?"

"Sure do," she smirked, appearing to be thankful for the switched subject. "Grew up in a family known for their green hands. My dad always let me help with his crops, drive the tractor, all that shit. My uncle had a cattle ranch too, but I gotta admit it was more boring there. Plus, the cows stank of shit."

Lee couldn't help but chuckle at that, before Beth finished her rambling with her own questions. "So what about you? What's your story?"

"Me? I, ah, grew up down in Georgia."

"Oh, Georgia? Where exactly, Savannah, Atlanta, Brunswick?" she asked.

"Macon. I worked in Atlanta, though."

This peaked Beth's interest, a smile on her face as she turned to him. "Really? What as?"

"You know, you're oddly… enthusiastic to learn about someone that you've only just met." Lee pointed out, glancing at her wearily.

"I like knowing shit about the people I'm working with, and you didn't answer my question." She smirked, watching as Lee raised an eyebrow at her.

"I was a history professor at the University of Georgia."

"So you taught people about all the things that happened in the past?"

"Yeah, roughly. I'm a big fan of the American Civil War."

Beth's smirk turned into a grin, as she excitedly asked. "So, if you could teach the kids some history here, would you?"

"I ain't here to teach, not as far as Carver is concerned." Lee shot down, though he felt a bit guilty \at her disappointed facial expression. "Why would you want me teaching that stuff, anyway?"

"It adds normality to this place, doesn't it? I've seen too many people, too many _children_ , holding guns and making decisions that I wouldn't want any adults to make. If there was a chance to show these kids something from the days before all this, why would we waste it?" she explained, a genuine smile on her face.

"Not everyone will see it like that. Sometimes, we gotta do what we gotta do to survive."

"But these kids are in a safe place, right? They have food, protection, warm place to sleep. Surely we can push this place to be a haven for people to live like before. The first thing I would do is get rid of those tests-"

"Tests?" Lee interrupted, confused by this reveal. "What tests?"

"You don't know? God, everyone around here knows the fucked up shit the tests force kids to do." Beth grumbled, pausing momentarily as she thought about telling Lee, though the scowl on his face made her rethink changing the subject as she continued. "You know the school upstairs, it's ran by Oliver 'Tight-Ass' García? Well, the kids up there are being trained in guns, weapons and shit, handling, where to shoot walkers, all that jazz."

"I knew about that, Sarah's up there right now." Lee pointed out, his stomach flipping as he thought about what Beth is saying.

"Well, you better pray they skip over her. Any kid that's enrolled in that school eventually goes through the tests I mentioned. You know what Bill does? He puts them out the walls with only a weapon and the education they're given, once they reach a point in their education where they can't benefit anymore and they're just a drain on resources if they don't prove they have what it takes to survive."

"He… what?"

"Yeah. A lot of the kids die out there, and those that come back are changed. I know this one girl, Riley, she was Sarah's best friend, and she had to go through the test about a month ago. When she got back, she was covered in blood and wounds, Jack told me about a nasty stab wound in her abdomen, and she was different. She didn't talk to anyone, and her friendship with Sarah went completely balls-up."

"And you still support Carver, even after knowing all this?!" Lee snapped, angered by the truth in her words.

"It's the one thing I hate in his leadership, but what are you gonna do that's better? Take him out and lead Howes yourself? You try to do things right, and you end up getting fucked over. Don't believe me? Ask Jack and he'll tell you the same thing." She brushed off, before she turned to the crops. "We gotta get harvesting now, or Bill will have my head. So, just do what I do and you'll pick it up in no time."

Seething at the truth in the palace he was trapped in, Lee had to push the anger down and concentrate on what Beth was doing, watching as she started to explain to him. "These are some of our carrots that we planted a few months ago, so they should be ready to harvest. Now, to get them out of the dirt, we moisten the dirt with water so pulling them out is easier. We got water in those buckets over there, go grab them."

Doing as he was told, Lee followed her gesture and spotted the buckets sitting by a makeshift door, the door itself just a hole cut into the metal wall with hinges nailed into the wall, the wooden door closed completely to keep the warmth in. He walked down the aisle of crops, stopping in front of the buckets as he peered in, grossed out when he saw the water inside, the liquid dirty and definitely not fit for consumption. The plastic part of the bucket's handles were worn and cracked, and it poked into his palms as Lee picked them up, carrying them back to Beth as she nodded.

"Good, now," she continued, grabbing a small bowl that was placed by the carrot pot, dunking it in the bucket and then pouring it over the soil. "With the soil moistened, we grab the carrot tops and tug on them gently in a twisting motion, like this."

With that, she grabbed the green tops of the carrot and pulled gently, twisting her hand as she instructed and surely enough, the carrot slowly came out of the ground. Lee stared at the vegetable, feeling a bit disappointed at the puny size, as he expected something more, which Beth picked up as she noticed his face and smiled. "Don't worry, some carrots are pretty shitty, but others gotta be good."

He didn't respond to that, instead taking place in front of more carrots as Beth watched him, crossing her arms as she nodded for him to do what she did. Glancing at the bushy green tops, he grabbed the bowl that Beth used and dunked it in the bucket of water, pouring it over the crops to moisten the soil, before he grabbed the tops. Twisting his hand gently, he pulled and surely the carrot was removed from the dirt, the vegetable in his hand looking more promising than the others that Beth had harvested.

"There you go!" she praised, quickly adding. "We gotta get these crops harvested, then plant the seeds that we've gathered."

"You don't sound pleased about that last thing." Lee pointed out.

"I'm not happy. These crops came from F1 hybrids, which means that the seeds from these crops are fucked, they have no guarantee that the crops we grow from them will be the same as the previous harvest. So, we'd have to constantly buy new seeds every year, and that's no longer an option." She sighed, running her hand through her short locks before it ran down her neck and rubbed it. "Stupid scientists and their stupid plants. If they knew this would happen, they wouldn't have fucked around with nature, assholes!"

"So, you're saying we're gonna run out of crops to grow soon?!"

"Not soon. We hit every store and gathered all the farming supplies there is, so we got a pretty decent cache, but the problem is what we're gonna do after they run out. We could go on natural food that grow in the wilds, but we don't know how that would affect the livestock, like the horses or the chickens, or if any of that shit is even edible." Beth pointed out, somewhat calming the situation down.

Lee was silent after that, thinking hard on what Beth said, though she tried to lift his spirits as she pointed out. "Don't worry, Lee. With the seeds we have, we can still grow our food for a good few years."

Her cheerful tone did help with his mood, as he smiled softly at her, before the two of them carried on harvesting the row of carrots. The repeated process of dampening the soil, pulling out carrots and putting them in an empty bucket was tiring mentally, and Lee got bored fairly quickly. His mind began to wander, and he could only stop it from doing so many times before he just allowed it, thinking about mundane things like reading the fiction books that he enjoyed, noting that Sarah would probably like some as well, along with helping Omid pick a name for baby that wasn't just his name with "the Second" or "Junior" added to the end of it. He chuckled at that, fond of the two he came to call his friends, and it was this distraction that caused him to tug too hard on one of the carrot tops, causing it to snap clean off.

"Fuck!" he swore, standing there with the broken carrot tops in his hands. Beth noticed this, glancing at the stuck carrots that were lacking their green tops, before she just laughed softly so that she wouldn't get her ear chewed off by Frank, the grouchy survivor still busy harvesting his own rows with Nick glued to his side.

"I told you to be careful." She joked, moving to his side as she examined the hidden carrots. "No harm done, just watch this."

As she said that, she unhooked a trowel that was tied to her belt, messing with it momentarily before she carefully drove it into the dirt beside the carrot. Lee watched as she fiddled with it, gently easing the carrot out of the loosened dirt, and gave a pleased hum as she held the freed carrot in her hand. Throwing it in the bucket, she passed the trowel to Lee as she explained. "If you break anymore off, just use the trowel like I did, then throw them in the bucket."

He nodded, and carried on with harvesting the crops, making sure he paid more attention to what he was doing instead of daydreaming. The harvest wasn't as poor as he'd expected, some of the carrots were dismal but others were quite healthy, and the bucket was fuller than expected by the time he finished with the pots assigned to the row. Lee took a step back and smiled as he glanced into the bucket, before it was picked up by Beth, her face slightly sweaty as she passed the bucket to him. "Take this bucket up to the restaurant and give it to Gabriel. You can't miss him, he's the black guy with the tall hat, likes to give people hugs."

"I'll get to it." Lee obeyed, taking the bucket out of her hand before moving towards the doors that led into the main building, until Frank's voice caught him off guard.

"Lee!" he called, his voice gruff and tired. "Take this one as well, makes two trips into one!"

Lee obeyed that order as well, moving down the aisle and along the room towards Frank and Nick, stopping as Frank grabbed the bucket full of potatoes and onions that he harvested. Passing it to him, Lee took the bucket in his free hand and nodded to Frank, shooting Nick a look as he turned around to leave the room, moving quickly to the door before having to place one of the buckets down to open it, keeping it ajar with his foot as he entered the main building. With the harvest in hand, he turned and walked briskly down the hallway that he and Alicia walked down earlier on, looking around as he saw two guards walking towards him, chatting to each other as they were unaware of the approaching man.

One of them was a younger woman, long dark hair tied back into a loose bun with a few strands shaping her face, and in her hands was a rifle, gripped loosely as she talked with the other guard, whom Lee immediately recognized as Luke, in different clothes and with a rifle in his hand as well, the young man smiling away as he was unaware of his companion storming over with a look of death on him. It was only when Lee was a few feet away did Luke finally notice him, the brief look of panic washing over his face when he spotted Lee's expression, Becky confused by this as she followed his gaze.

"You're one of the new people that came in with Nick and that." She realised, turning her body fully towards Lee. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking these to Gabriel upstairs." Lee retorted, still glaring at Luke as he showed her the bucket of the harvested crops. "What are you doing, Luke? What's with all this?!"

"Lee, man, I was gonna tell you guys-"

"Luke is gonna be a guard again, thanks to Carver's 'generosity'." Beth explained, though the last word might as well have been poison with the way she spat it out.

"Beck, we've talked about this." Luke tried to calm, though he was surprised when her attitude turned worse.

"We talked before you left us all, left me! You betrayed my trust, Luke, and yet you're given another chance? So, you get to sleep in the nice quarters whilst you're best friend sleeps in the Pen, where's the _justice?!"_

"Yeah, Luke, you better explain this to me 'cause right now, I'm five seconds from knocking you out." Lee warned.

"You don't know, do you?" Becky smirked, raising her eyebrow as she turned back to Luke. "Luke is a precious boy to Carver-"

"Becky." Luke warned, glaring down at her. Becky's smug expression didn't falter, and she didn't even look at Lee as she opened her mouth to continue what she was saying, the next sentence said with a sing-song tone to her voice,

"Because he's the boss' son."


	19. The Calm Before

Lee was stunned, his mouth hanging open as he just stared at Luke, the younger man visibly uncomfortable with his feet shuffling awkwardly, whereas Becky was smug with the whole situation. The stun slowly lost its effect on Lee though, his mind reeling through the information that was just told to him, before settling on the fact the Luke wasn't defending himself, he's not denying the fact that Becky accused him of being the tyrant they call their leader's son. In fact, by how she said it was almost like she knew, and it made sense that she would. She was here a lot longer, and why would she lie about something that big? One thing was certain, Lee was pissed off.

"You motherfucker," he started, dropping the bucket of vegetables as he neared Luke. "You thought you could lie to us?!"

"What?! No, no, man look!" Luke tried to explain, backing away from Lee as he raised one hand, the other still holding his rifle. "I am, I'm Carver's son b-but I ain't a traitor to you guys!"

"Explain. NOW." Lee snapped, stopping when he saw Becky grow concerned, lifting her own rifle to keep him at bay.

With the threat gone, Luke relaxed slightly, though he kept his hand up as he replied sarcastically. "Explain what? Carver dragging some poor woman to his lair, or that before all this there was someone who actually cared for him, then nine months later I popped out?"

"You know what I mean."

"Alright. Look, I was a guard here before we escaped, but then I saw my dad do some fucked up shit, Lee, he sent people away who needed help, some of them having kids. I still remember our scouts coming back telling us that some of those same people didn't make it. So, I made a plan with Pete and Carlos, and we decided to escape." He explained, lowering his hand when he saw Lee calm down.

"If you hate him so much, why keep this a secret?" Lee asked, not fully believing what Luke said, he still had a bad feeling about him.

"Really? I should go around and tell the newcomers I'm the tyrant's son? Do I look like I wanna get my ass kicked?"

Lee narrowed his eyes, squaring up to Luke as he threatened him. "Keep talking like that and you'll have to worry about that from me."

"Message received. Sorry." He apologized, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced away from Lee at Becky, the two sharing a look before he sighed loudly. "If it's anything, I'm sorry that I kept it from you guys. But know that I would never, and I mean NEVER, keep anything else like this again, alright?"

Lee seemed skeptical, his face frozen in a constant state of annoyance, before he just shrugged his shoulders. "You know what, man? I don't even fucking care anymore. We all have our secrets, but you better listen to me. If you ever keep something from us, that would put my friends or Sarah in danger, you won't have to worry about the walkers out there. 'Cause I will be coming for you."

"Listen, I don't know what place you came from," Becky frowned, quickly moving between Lee and Luke with her rifle clutched tightly in her hands. "But we don't make threats in front of guards here. The sooner you get that, the easier life here will be for you."

"Yeah, 'cause my life is swell right now. Nothing to wake you up like a freezing ass cell with no roof and a morning beating." Lee replied sarcastically and raising his voice, shaking his head whilst his hand rubbed the nape of his neck. By judging the look on her face, he could see clearly that Becky wasn't impressed by his choice of tone, her eyebrows knitted together as she just glared at him.

"Life ain't easy anymore, asshole. No need to go complaining about it. Besides, from what I heard, you deserve that beating."

"Is that so? Well, what did you hear exactly?" Lee growled, his teeth gritted together as he tried to keep his cool.

"That you killed Mike." She explained, her voice cracking as she then looked down, her gaze fierce when she manage to continue. "You got off easy. Tess loved her brother more than anyone in this entire goddamn place, and if I were you, I'd lay down low for a good while."

"It ain't exactly easy when Bill keeps assigning her to watch over me." He pointed out. That seemed to have caught Becky off guard, as she was unable to come up with a good enough excuse for Lee's complaining, and that just made him feel triumphant. Only then, something in the corner of his eye caught his attention, his face moving to see Joel; the guy who was with Lily and Tess when they brought him into Howe's. His face still seemed exhausted, even though he must have slept for a good couple of hours, though his grey beanie was replaced by one that was black, with orange and red lines wrapped around the bottom near his forehead.

Seeing the three survivors just standing there, he made a bee-line for them, his face expressionless when he yawned. "Ain't you guys got somewhere to be?"

"We're just talking, Joel." Luke explained, giving Lee a quick glare before turning around to face Joel, before immediately asking. "You got your Wednesday beanie on?"

"Yeah, so?"

"It's Friday."

"I'm gonna be honest with you, I thought it was Monday." He brushed off, rubbing one of his eyes with a nonchalant. "You're the only person who even knows what day it is, sometimes."

"That's because I have a calendar." Luke smirked. "Hey, I'd go now before someone a lot less nicer sees you talking with us."

"You taking the vegetables to Gabriel?" Joel suddenly asked, turning his attention to Lee. He said nothing, instead just nodding to the answer, and so the tired man moved closer to him. "Awesome. I'll go with you, see if he has anything for me."

Lee didn't even bother to argue, instead just allowing the guard to lead him to the stairs that went up to the first floor, returning Luke one last withering glare before following him. The younger man seemed unnerved by the look. With a glance at him, Luke just turned his attention to Becky, the words he whispered to her unheard by Lee as him and Joel moved out of earshot, moving quickly to the staircase they walked up earlier that morning. Joel paused, sighing heavily as he just muttered. "Just another day at the office."

"Are you alright, man?" Lee asked, staring at his back with a puzzled look. "You just seem tired all the time."

"I am tired all the time." He shot back, before he just shrugged halfheartedly. "It's just my sleep apnoea. Hopefully, tonight will be the night it kills me."

"Jesus, can you lighten up?" The elder complained, walking up the stairs after Joel started ascending. The other survivor didn't respond immediately to that, instead just walking up the stairs in silence. Taking that as an unspoken request to shut up, Lee just hummed and looked at the space around him as they neared the top of the stairs, noticing a couple of female guards standing by the old toy store he spotted earlier; the taller one of the two holding a small teddy in her hand. Watching the scene, he couldn't help but smile when he saw the woman give her companion the teddy with a few unheard words, the other woman taking the teddy before giving the first one an enthusiastic hug.

Joel noticed the conversation take place as well, pausing a second before he just called out. "You two married now?"

"Shut it, Joel." The first woman called back in a playful tone, removing herself from the other as she added. "When we do, you're the first on our list!"

"I damn should be, Evie, considering that's my sister you're marrying!" Joel retorted, shaking his head with a faint smirk, until he noticed Gabriel walking out of the restaurant with a bucket of something, making his way to the couple with it in tow. The two guards noticed him immediately, the first woman taking the bucket whilst the one held onto her stuffed bear, Gabriel looking at it and laughing.

"I was wondering when she's get the courage to ask you!" he bellowed, a hearty laugh following it.

"I wish it was a ring, though." Evie muttered, looking down at the toy.

Gabriel thought for a moment, and then placed his hand on her shoulder softly. "Hey, it ain't all bad, right? I'm sure Kai's big brother will scout one out on his next mission, right Joel?"

"This better bump me up on your good list, Kaiya." He sighed, smirking when Kaiya's face brightened up.

"Alright now. You two better bring those vegetables inside if I wanna start dinner before people get hungry. Don't want them eating each other now, do we?" Gabriel joked, moving towards Joel and Lee with a joyful smile, gesturing for them to enter his restaurant. With Joel going first, Lee sneaked a final look at the happy couple by the toy store, feeling some sort of relief that someone was able to find some happiness in this place. Entering the restaurant, Lee was still fixated on the beauty of the amber marble wall that was behind the counter, staring at it whilst Gabriel walked behind it, kneeling down out of sight looking for something. Meanwhile, Joel just moved to the nearest table to them, leaning his rifle against the wooden leg before making himself comfortable in the chair, sighing as he reached into his pocket for something.

Rooting around in the jacket pocket, he grunted loudly before pulling something out, the object in his hand revealed to be a carton of cigarettes. Throwing them on the table, he glanced outside for a moment, his hand returning to the pocket to root for something else. After a few seconds, Joel cursed under his breath and called to Gabriel. "Hey, Gabe?"

"Yeah?" A deep voice called back from underneath the counter.

"You got a lighter on you? I think I lost mine, or Frank took it."

A thud and a yelp came immediately after, causing Lee to jump slightly and drop the bucket on the floor, the object rattling but proven stable due to the minimal height from the floor. Staring at the counter, he saw Gabriel's face shot up, a worried expression on his face, eyes darting to the open doors of the restaurant before he just told Joel. "You ain't smoking in my goddamn restaurant. You know what Carver will do if he finds out that someone is smoking on the job, especially you? Your sleep apnoea will just get worse if you put that shit in your body."

"I'm stressed, Gabriel. I've been working my ass off all week to keep Bill off me, I gotta make sure Kai doesn't do anything stupid that would mess everything up, and I nearly fucking died chasing after some dude in a hoodie that ran off into the woods back at the lodge!" He snapped, grabbing a cigarette and holding it between his teeth, his voice slightly muffled when he added. "Hell, if now ain't the time for a smoke, I don't know when is."

"You were chasing some dude in the forest back at the lodge?" Lee asked, unable to stop the glimmer of hope in his stomach. "You know what happened to him?!"

Hands ruffling through jacket pockets, Joel just raised his eyebrows whilst thinking back, before he just shrugged. "Yeah, I know what happened to him. I manage to get him, but the fucker knows how to put up a good fight. Slipped out of my grip. Only managed to get a shallow cut on him."

"That was my friend!" Lee snapped, moving forward with hands gripping Joel's jacket tightly, lifting him up off the chair with strength that he never knew he had. Pulling the stunned guard closer, Lee growled loudly. "What was the blood on your shirt, then, 'cause you don't get that if the cut was only shallow?!"

"Dude, get off me!" The captive man snapped, pushing Lee off him roughly, before he made for his gun. Lee was too slow, too tired and sluggish from the lack of food and good sleep, having to hold back when the gun was raised at him. Joel kept his nerve, and decided to answer the question to prevent further pushing Lee's buttons. "The blood was from Mike! He fell on me when he got shot and fell down the stairs, it ain't your friend's."

The excuse made sense in Lee's mind, his mind reeling back to that scene at the lodge, the way Mike lurched backwards when that bullet pierced his shoulder, the sickening thud that must of been when his bleeding body landed on top of Joel, staining his comrade's shirt in blood. He knew that he and Matthew would have died if he didn't shoot, but looking at Joel's defeated expression, Lee began to realise that they might have been enemies, but Mike had friends, family, just like he did. "Were you good friends with him?"

"He knew how to give people a good laugh, but he also knew how to say it how it was. People called him an asshole for it, but I didn't care. He wasn't as bad as Tess, she was always a bitch, but Mike… Yeah, we were close."

"The girl with Luke just then, she seemed torn up over him as well." Lee pointed out, remembering the broken up way that Becky talked about the deceased man.

"Becky?" Joel asked, though it was more like a question to himself rather than to Lee, and he didn't give much time to answer before he sighed. "Becky is one of those girls that gets too attached, right? It's been pretty hard, growing up in a world like this, and so when someone comes along that's nice to you… you don't know how to react. Mike was the one who brought Becky here. Hell, I think he brought a lot of us here, him being one of the first and all. When I came back and told her what happened, it was like she lost a brother. Then Luke came back, and she was madder than a cat after a bath."

"I saw them arguing together, what was all that about?" Gabriel piped up, glancing over a clipboard that just had words scribbled down on the yellowed paper.

"When are they not arguing?"

"I don't know, he seemed to calm her down during breakfast this morning. That boy could charm anyone, not something he got from Carver." Gabriel sighed, moving from behind the counter and towards Lee. "Bring that bucket behind here, I got this one."

Obeying, Lee picked up the bucket full of carrots whilst Gabriel took the bucket of onions and potatoes, a warm tone taking his voice as he smiled brightly. "I can make my homemade stew tonight for all y'all hungry souls!"

"That sounds awesome. Boy, I could really go for a hearty meal right now." Joel sighed blissfully, sitting back in his chair lazily with his gun right next to him, ensuring that Lee doesn't try to do anything aggressive towards him.

"So," Lee started, placing the bucket down besides the other one when he reached the back of the counter, watching as Gabriel started getting the bowls, a chopping board, and a sharp knife out. "What do you guys think of Luke?"

"He's a fucking idiot." Joel pointed out, rubbing his eye again when he frowned deeply. "I got no idea why Bill even allowed Luke back into guard duty, with the nice room and the privileges, when he up and abandoned all of us with his damn friends!"

"I'm sure Luke just didn't know what to do. It ain't every day that you have to watch a parent go down a dark road, Joel."

"No, 'cause most of our parents are dead." That blunt remark struck Lee in the wrong place, his heart seizing up as he recalled Macon those couple of months back, finding the bed in the office that was soaked in his parents' blood, and Lilly telling him that they hauled their corpses out onto the street before he could get there. Before he could get home.

He just realised that he never got to say goodbye to them. The last thought they had of their son was a no-good murderer who would spend the rest of his days in prison. His face must have gave too much away, as the next sentence brought him out of his shocked realisation, Gabriel's deep voice rumbling. "You alright there, man?"

"Yeah. I'm fine just… bad memories."

"Look, if it's what I said, I'm sorry. I never thought about what others were probably going through with their families." Joel apologized, seemingly remorseful for the his blunt way of wording.

"It's fine, let's just forget about it." Lee brushed off, watching Gabriel start peeling the potatoes as he added. "You want help with that?"

"Well, that would be much appreciated. Let me just grab you another knife." The cook accepted, turning around and moving towards a set of drawers that were underneath the counter. As he was doing so, Lee glanced down the counter to see the whole place, spotting cookers that were built into the surface just further down from where they were, seats in front of the open cookers for people to sit and watch the cook work. The restaurant must have been a lucky find, but the cookers must have stopped working when the gas was cut off from the place.

"You ever had trouble cooking without any gas?" he decided to ask, turning to watch Gabriel as he rummaged through the drawers.

"At first, but then Pete pointed out that we can still make fire without gas. We use the firewood that we get from the forest to keep the fires going, but I wish that those cookers over there still worked. Would make it easy for dinner time instead of having to keep an eye on the fire." Gabriel explained, finally straightening up with a knife in his hand. Passing it to Lee, he carried on peeling the potatoes, watching out of the corner of his eye as the newcomer tried to copy him.

With a potato in one hand, Lee brought the knife to the dirty skin and started peeling it off, rotating the vegetable to keep the fluid movement, ensuring that his fingers weren't in the way of the blade. The first peeled piece of skin fell onto the chopping board, both of the ignoring it until Gabriel placed the already peeled potato down, impressing Lee with the speed that he did it at, before he noticed the cook picking up the peels. "Make sure you don't throw out any of the skins. Ellie's been pestering me for them, something about making them into feed for the livestock. Beth's been eyeing them up too for fertilizer."

"It seems that this place runs kinda smoothly."

"Doesn't hurt to get some outside help, though." Joel spoke up from his seat, checking over his rifle when he shrugged his shoulders. "There are communities all over this state besides Howe's. One up north is the word on every survivor's lips lately. Wellington."

"Wellington?" Lee questioned, never hearing that name before.

"A messenger had been travelling all over the state, finding survivors and trying to make bridges with other communities. Bill had none of it. Turns out, he has this idea in his head that we can make it on our own; just shows weakness if you ask others for help, you know?" Joel went on to further explain, glancing up from his rifle to the two workers.

"You reckon it's safer up there?" Gabriel asked. "The cold must be something."

"Well apparently, it's not only the living that get affected by the cold. Dead too. Makes them real slow and easy to avoid." Lee chimed in, finishing one potato and moving on to the next, throwing the peels in a little pile on the counter that Gabriel made.

"How'd you find that out?" He heard Joel ask.

Peeling away, Lee didn't look up as he recalled the survivor he got that information off, feeling his heart drop when the thought of Sofia's lifeless face plagued his mind. "There was a girl that ran with my group around a week back, Sofia. She was the one who told me."

"I don't remember her being at the lodge... Where is she now?"

"She's dead." The blunt way that Lee gave his answer seemed to have surprised Gabriel, his peeling pausing for a moment when he realised what happened. With the two staring at him, Lee didn't know if he should tell them exactly how she died, knowing that they would be curious, and decided against it to avoid giving Nick anymore aggro than he had at the moment. He saved his life, even when he didn't have to, and the anger he once held for the younger man was starting to fade. The pain would always be there, but Lee lost many people already. It was just one of those things he had to take in stride.

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry to hear that."

Lee nodded at that, just carrying on with the peeling whilst Gabriel took it as something that the newcomer didn't want to talk about. Numerous peeled potatoes were sitting on the chopping board, and so the cook started to chop them up whilst Lee peeled the rest. Looking down at the bucket, he couldn't help but feel disappointed with the low numbers. When he was carrying it, the bucket felt heavy, ripe with produce, but it seemed that the harvest didn't go as well as he thought it did. Nevermind, they have other vegetables to cook with as well. Grabbing hold of the last potato, he began peeling when he saw someone enter the restaurant, panicking for a moment when he thought it was Tess, or worse Carver.

He calmed down when he fully looked at the person, realising that it was just a girl, looking somewhere in her late teens. Her outfit was definitely suitable to the freezing weather that was surely to come; her thick winter coat unzipped, revealing a dark jumper underneath, and a scarf sat around her neck. Her left thigh was bandaged, taping down the navy jeans that was stained in dirt, her large hiker boots echoing when they connected with the solid floor. It wasn't her outfit that Lee was focusing on however, it was the chicken in her hands. When she reached the counter, Gabriel took one look at the chicken and asked. "Daisy's stopped laying now?"

"Yep, poor girl's just gotten too old now." The girl sighed, stroking the chicken's soft feathers with a saddened look. "I don't wanna let her go, but Bill's made it clear that any chicken that's stopped laying is just a mouth to feed."

"I'll take good care of her, Ellie." Gabriel promised, continuing chopping the potatoes as he mused. "Could go for some cooked chicken breast tonight, though."

"She ain't got much meat on her bones anymore. She was ill for a while just before the plague, and I don't know how you're gonna stretch meat from one chicken to over twenty people." Ellie pointed out, moving towards a chair beside Joel, allowing him to pet Daisy as the old chicken clucked softly on her lap.

"Bill said that the good meat goes to him and the guards, then the people below them get the thighs, and then people in the Pen get the feet and all the nasty bits." Gabriel explained, noticing Lee grimacing at the idea of eating the feet of the chicken sitting in front of him. Before everything that happened, he could eat anything that was given to him, but looking at the animal that's going to wind up on his plate later is just weird.

"Gross. I get that we shouldn't waste anything but chicken feet? What are you even gonna wash them with? Bill said that we can't use the bottled water for anything save drinking them." Joel argued, despite the fact that it's not him who's gonna get the feet.

"Beth set up a little irrigation system for the rainwater that would be used for watering the plants and for washing, but I agree. Rain water isn't exactly the…. cleanest." Ellie joined in, moving her finger to underneath the chicken's chin to give her a little scratch.

"Could we use the bits that we don't wanna eat into something to help the plants? Like, I don't know, ground them up or something?" Lee asked, eager to find another use for them rather than give them to the people that pissed Carver off.

"I have no idea. Beth and Frank are the ones who you should ask, but if any case, I can try to make the feet and stuff at least edible. Maybe if I use some seasonings that we found in this place…" Gabriel muttered, rummaging through the cupboards and drawers that were sitting underneath the counter.

As he was doing this, Ellie's voice spoke out, directed to Lee whilst he finished the final potato. "I ain't seen you around here before. You one of the guys that came here last night?"

"Yeah. Name's Lee."

"I'm Ellie, I work with the livestock upstairs. Chickens, mostly. The cattle and the horses are mostly downstairs just outside the building, gives them grass and stuff to munch on."

"You guys got cattle?" Lee asked, surprised by this.

"We got two adults, Bullseye and Spots, and a little calf too. Little guy is the most adorable thing you've ever laid eyes on, we call him Jeb." Lee smiled at the thought of a baby calf running around, that was, until he saw Ellie's grim expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Lil' Jeb is a male calf, so he ain't gonna be having babies anytime soon and we don't have another female cow to mate him with. Unless we find new cows to bring in, the ones we have ain't gonna last." She explained, leaning back into her chair as she watched Gabriel continue rummaging.

"You guys ain't found anymore out there?"

"Are you serious? No. Every animal out there has been eaten by those things, so our only hope is that other communities like ours grabbed some before they became walker chow." Ellie grumbled, her voice quieted when she added. "Like Wellington. They're the only thing people have been talking for weeks. They gotta have some stuff up there that we can trade for."

"Bill won't have it." Joel shot back, adjusting his beanie whilst Ellie scowled at him.

"Come on you two." Gabriel scolded, standing up finally with a bottle of crushed herbs in his hand. "I ain't having you two arguing in my restaurant again. It seems that whenever you two are together, it's all you ever do!"

"Sorry, Gabe." Joel apologized, falling silent after that. Ellie instead just shook her head, staring down at the chicken that was staring back at her, its beady black eyes glancing around as it tried to walk off her lap, remaining on it when her hands firmly held it still. She seemed upset about this, Lee noted, and her eyes slowly drifted up when she saw Gabriel solemnly gesture to her to come closer.

"Alright." She muttered, standing up and walking downwards the counter. Daisy seemed to have sense something was wrong, and started clucking louder in protest. The stroking had no effect anymore. Plotting the chicken on the counter, Ellie just watched as Gabriel grabbed the big cleaver knife that was lying on the chopping board, gently grabbing Daisy and laying her down so that he had a clean swipe at her neck. The chicken only managed one last cluck before the knife came down, a puff of feathers flying up into the air, along with a squirt of blood staining the marble counter.

Lee couldn't help but wince at that, eyes glancing over to Ellie and right then, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Gabriel noticed the look as well, his voice soft and caring when he comforted her. "I'm sorry it came to this, Ellie."

"She was my first chicken, you know? Got her from Alex for my twelfth birthday."

"A chicken seems like a strange pet for a twelve year old." Joel noted.

Ellie turned around, staring at him with an unreadable expression, and just shrugged. "I lived with a chicken enthusiast for a dad. He always wanted to own one, and managed to achieve his dreams when I was a baby. Grew up with chickens, and they can make great pets if you treat them right."

"I'll start getting the chicken prepared then. It's close to dinner time anyway." Gabriel offered, taking the bleeding chicken corpse off the counter and moved along the counter, turning around the corner to the part where the food would be cooked, leaving Lee alone with Ellie and Joel. He was surprised that time had gone so fast. At most, he though only a few hours past, but he had no watch to look at for the time anymore.

"You had a watch?" Ellie suddenly asked, smiling when she nodded at his raised wrist. "You keep looking at your wrist like you're expecting it to still be there."

"Yeah, but Carver's guys took it off me." Lee replied bitterly.

"That's to be expected. Anything on newcomers that is useful is taken off you. Your watch is probably given to one of the scouts so they can keep the time whilst out of the walls." She explained, leaning against the counter whilst making sure not to lean in the puddle of blood.

Lee sighed. "You've been here long?"

"I was brought here around a month back now, with my older brother...I think it was Mike who brought me here actually." She explained, her smile fading into a smirk when she added. "It was a bad time before that. I'll always be thankful he found us when he did."

"You had people before you came here? You just look too young to be on your own." He asked.

Ellie didn't respond to that, her face fallen as if she was thinking deeply, before she just looked back at the newcomer and shook her head. "No. It was always just me and Alex."

Looking at her glum expression, Lee decided to not push any further and instead dropped the subject. Luckily, Gabriel came back with a warm smile on his face. "I know you're upset right now, but I have some food for the rest of your chickens."

"Oh, you're a life-saver! We were running way too low on feed for them, and I'd rather not risk their eggs being affected by lack of nutrition." Ellie gasped happily, looking over the counter and seeing the potato peels. "I can't give them potato skins. You got anything else?"

"Yeah, we got some carrots if that's alright?" Gabriel offered.

"That'll work. Thanks, Gabriel." Ellie thanked, watching as the cook grabbed some of the carrots out of the bucket, chopping them up with speed and skill that suggested he did this before. When he finished chopping, he used the side of the knife to slide the chopped vegetable into a large bowl, passing it over to Ellie.

Taking it, she glanced over at Lee and smirked. "Now I remember, there's a woman with us right now who was talking about a Lee. Christa, I think?"

"She's my friend."

"Nice lady, if a bit cold. You gotta be like that nowadays, though. You heading back to the greenhouse after dinner?" She asked.

"Should do. How is Christa, is she alright?" Lee questioned, worried about his friend after this morning.

Ellie smiled warmly at his concern for his friend, finding it touching, before she just replied. "She's fine. Livestock duty ain't that heavy, so she and the baby are fine."

"That's good." Lee smiled, before he noticed a loud chatter coming from outside the restaurant, both Ellie and Joel following his stares through the door. The noise got louder and louder, before people started to appear at the door, walking through before taking their seats at the numerous tables. Carver was the first one through, eyeing Lee as he passed him, Alicia in tow as she spared a single glance at him. Lee just remained silent, though he noted the tight grip that he had on her arm, and frowned deeply. Besides those two, Jack was amongst the people, and Tess as well, the latter glaring at Lee as she was pushed further away by the doctor, him not wanting another fight to start before he got food.

Lee's frown deepened when he didn't see his friends, Ellie noticing this before explaining. "Your friends should be here soon. Alex is most probably taking care of the last few coops before he brings Christa down."

"I hope so." He sighed, before being poked by Gabriel. Turning to him, he saw the silent gesture for the newcomer to finish with the vegetables, before he chuckled and left to start dinner. With so many people to feed, Lee felt a bit overwhelmed with it all. He didn't know how Gabriel could keep such a cheery face when faced with all this. Rather than wallow, he just carried on with cooking duty, hoping that he could sit down with his friends soon.

Howe's started to seem like a safe place to be, but he couldn't stop the bad feeling crawling through his stomach.


	20. The Storm

Eventually, Christa and Omid appeared at the front doors with another man in front of them, chatting away happily whilst the pregnant woman just stared at Lee in relief, who returned the smile fully. Most of the people that lived in Howe's were in the restaurant, and the noise from all the chatter was almost deafening, with a couple of children running in front of the counter whilst their parents tried their best to call them back. The father of one of the children walked over to his son, who was playing some make believe game with a girl who looked about his age, running a hand through his greyed hair. Muttering to his son about sitting down and having dinner, he picked up the small child and moved back to the table that his wife and elder daughter were sitting at, the mother taking the young boy with a faint smile.

Seeing families sitting together, children playing, and generally having a good time warmed Lee's heart, it was almost as if all of them were in an alternate world, a world that only existed inside Howe's walls, where what was out there wasn't real. He was so used to people arguing and fighting each other, eating cold canned food or old crackers, and even fighting over them when it wasn't enough, it was actually a nice change to find everyone living together, but the feeling of normalcy that came with that was rather bittersweet; under all that laughter and joy there was still that terrifying groaning subtly present in his ears, desperate starving mouths reaching for some poor victim as their own rotten bodies fell apart, and memories that were impossible to erase; a thought he presumed everyone in the room shared and were also trying to push it into the back of their minds. Finding himself in the middle of that, he wondered if Crawford used to be like this before it's falling, but remembering how the community ended up as, he forced himself to accept that this one probably wouldn't last long either.

Reality was harsh.

Turning his attention back to his friends, he noticed that Omid and Christa were sitting on a table near the corner of the room, as far away from the off duty guards as possible. Walter was sitting with them, as well as Nick, the two conversing with the couple amicably. Eager to join them, Lee was stopped by Gabriel when he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you ain't on kitchen duty, but Sarah's gonna be late. Can you help me dish out dinner?"

"Well…" Lee trailed off, eyeing his friends sitting in the distance before he just sighed. He thought about going looking for Sarah, but he was sure that wherever the girl was, she was safe, with an armed guard looking after her, still, he couldn't help feel a bit fear growing in his stomach. "Sure," He finally replied, trying to brush it off, Gabriel gave him a smile and signed him to follow him to the kitchen, once they both were inside, Lee asked. "Alright, what you want me to do?"

"I got some of the stew ready, thankfully there was some left over from yesterday otherwise we would be dealing with a hungry Carver and believe me, you don't want that. I'll pour it into bowls, all you gotta do is serve it to people." Gabriel instructed, moving back to the cooking pot that was boiling away. Grabbing the ladle that was sitting on the counter, he stirred the old stew thoroughly before bringing the ladle back out, the curved part full of steaming stew. The only thing that looked new about it were the peeled potatoes he added just before, and yet it was more appetizing than eating food out of a can.

Lee just watched as Gabriel poured the stew into a couple of bowls, placed in a metal tray, the steam rising from the food and slowly disappearing into the cold air. With the bowls full, he grabbed the tray and handed it over to Lee, his face serious when he ordered him. "Give these to Carver and Alicia first, do you understand?"

"Yeah, got it." With that, Lee returned to the restaurant and started walking towards the table that Carver and Alicia were sitting at, a booth close to the balcony, the two conversing as he watched them. He mentally prepared himself for anything, hoping he could just quickly give them their food and leave. Whilst Carver seemed jovial and smirked, Alicia seemed tired and just glanced over at Lee with tinge of fear in her eyes, silently watching him as he stood in front of them.

Placing Alicia's plate in front of her, as the woman shared a sympathetic smile which Lee reciprocated along with a nod, then putting Carver's down a bit aggressively, he quietly muttered with a bit of bitterness in his voice. "Enjoy your meal." whilst glaring at the latter.

He was about to walk away and go back to the kitchen, until Bill started speaking. "Now, ain't this nice." Carver laughed, his voice taking a superior tone that set Lee's teeth on edge. "I take it you met Alicia? Ain't she a precious lil' thing?"

The possessive grip on her arm grabbed Lee's attention, she was sitting in front of Carver, her arm awkwardly stretched as he was trying to pull her closer, the fake smile on her face was not fooling anyone. He was trying hard to not lose his cool, that was, until Carver moved his hand to her wrist, took one mouthful of the stew and then placed his spoon down. "So, Lee, how have you found your first day here?"

He didn't immediately reply, just staring at Bill before Alicia's pleading look made him sigh quietly, deciding against upsetting the leader. "I am impressed with how you run things around here."

"Well, it takes someone of real character to run a place in a world like this." He boasted, removing his hand from Alicia so he could point at Lee with a grin on his face. "A little bird told me that you and Lilly used to be in the same group before she came here. Now, I don't normally listen to chit-chat, so it would be dandy if I got it from the horse's mouth."

That touched a nerve. Carver must have known what happened from Lilly, or whoever blabbed to him, so why would he think it was a good idea to twist the wound with Lee? Whatever the reason, it boiled his blood, and he decided to just removed himself from the situation with a quick. "I would like to explain, Carver, but I have other people to tend to, Gabrie-"

"They can wait." He said in a stern tone, giving a cold look that Lee felt going through him. "You!" He caught a guard's attention. "Go to the kitchen, do whatever Gabriel says" the quickly obeyed, doing as he was told. It sent shivers down Lee's spine, now he knew that he couldn't escape from the conversation anymore, maintaining a straight face as the leader added. "Come on, don't be shy. Sit with us!"

He obeyed, not by choice, but by Carver's smile falling ever so slightly when Lee faltered in doing what he was told. Slowly, he sat by Alicia's side with a weary look on his face, though this was ignored by Bill when he just smirked. He was just thanking god that at least the woman close to him wasn't Tess. Without saying a word to any of them, Lee spoke up when he noticed there was one person short. "Where's Kate?"

Alicia moved to answer his question, yet Carver interrupted her with a sharp tone. "She's sitting with Jack, no need to have her ruining a perfectly good meal."

"She's my daughter, Bill…" Alicia weakly protested, unable to maintain eye contact with him as he looked over at her, only managing to make excuses. "She's a little girl. She needs m-."

"What she needs," Carver interrupted, his voice low and cold. "Is to be taught that you can't have mommy's attention all the time because you want it. It'll toughen her up, make her ready for the world outside our borders. Besides, I want one goddamn dinner that doesn't end in her crying and snotting all over the table."

"Right, I'm sorry." She muttered.

That seemed to make Carver happier, the smirk returning as he accepted the apology. "It's not your fault, love. You just need to be firmer with the child."

Lee just watched the conversation silently, unable to add anything in that wouldn't anger Carver, and yet the way he was talking about her daughter boiled his blood. Thinking back to what Alicia told him about Kate, he couldn't blame the child from being upset with her circumstances, and if Alicia listened to Carver and become firmer with her child, it might have the opposite effect on her than they would want. Whilst he was thinking about the implications, he was caught off-guard by Carver suddenly asking him. "So, what's your story, Lee? Before you came here?"

"Same as everyone else. Got caught off guard by the plague, and tried to survive through these past few months." He explained, unwilling to share anymore about his past.

With a curious stare, Carver leaned forward on the table and, with a smirk, pressed further. "That so? Well then, where are you from?"

"Macon, down in Georgia."

He just chuckled at that, though he didn't seem satisfied with just that, and carried on. "Macon. I'm from North Carolina myself, came down to the border shortly after the plague and, well, took over this place. Kinda cosy, don't you think?"

Cosy was the last word that Lee would pick, but looking at his waiting expression, the worried glances of not only Alicia but some people that were sitting near them, and the thick air around them, it was hard to say what he actually thought. Instead, Lee just smiled and nodded, hoping it would be enough to keep Carver off his back. Seemingly, it was, and the tyrant leaned back happily, before his smirk deepened as his gaze shifted to something behind Lee. With a flick of his hand to gesture them, he called out in his gruff voice. "Come and join me and Lee here, sweetheart!"

A hand landed on Lee's shoulder, his eyes glancing up before he recognized the person that was called over. Lilly was just standing there awkwardly, not making eye contact with her old friend, and instead just glanced at Carver, who gestured to the seat beside him. She obeyed, moving to the chair slowly, obviously not wanting to be there as much as Lee himself, and yet she didn't dare tell their leader no. The chair creaked when she dragged it from underneath the table, in the middle of it, more close to Lee and Alicia than to Carver, and sat down with a fake smile on her face.

"I just checked up on Kate," She said with a smile, looking at the little girl's mother. "Gave her a coloring book and some crayons to distract herself with… and Jack joined too."

Alicia seemed a bit more relaxed, both women laughing softly at that last mention of the doctor, who right now was probably coloring as his life depended on it. "Thank you so much." she said before returning to her meal.

If there was one thing he was certain about, it was that Lilly was great with children, quickly becoming Clementine's best friend back at the motel and constantly checking up on both her and Duck. But still, with her and Lee together, the atmosphere became thicker than he ever experienced, it almost having a suffocating effect on him. After a while in silence, Carver was the first to speak as he cleared his voice, turning to address Lilly directly. "It's nice to see old friends, isn't it?"

"Yes, Carver." She responded, unable to look at Lee as he just heatedly glared at the empty space where his bowl should be, waiting until he could finally leave and sit with his friends.

"Lee was just telling me that he came from Macon, sounds like a nice little place. How about we break the ice and you tell us something about yourself, Lilly? You said you were in the Air Forces?" Carver continued, gesturing to Lee before he leaned on the same hand, his eyebrows raised in an almost mocking expression.

Definitely hating the experience, Lilly was sitting straight, unwilling to relax with Carver's gaze on her, her voice quiet but firm when she finally answered. "It was more of an office job rather than working with the planes."

"Oh? You had any family that were in the Armed Forces?"

That touched a nerve. Lilly completely stiffened at the question, her face fallen as Lee started feeling a tinge of sympathy for her, turning to Carver with a deep growl. "She doesn't want to talk about thi-"

"It's rude to interrupt a conversation, Lee." Carver interjected, ignoring the fact that he had interrupted Lee before, his voice lowering to an angered growl that immediately stopped Lee's words his face turning grim as he just fell silent, unwilling to annoy him any further.

After that interruption, Carver turned back to the silent woman and gestured her to continue. She paused for a few moments, gathering herself before taking a deep breath in, sighing as she explained. "My dad was a retired army commander. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps, so I did."

"Sounds like he's a strong fellow. Great character." Carver replied.

"Yeah… he was." Lilly muttered, sharing a quick glance with Lee whilst he frowned sadly.

The entire table was quiet. Everyone around them carried on talking with each other, laughing, and yet their conversation was pretty much dead. That was, until Carver decided to twist the knife in and asked. "What happened to him?"

Lilly didn't, or more like couldn't, answer his question. The pain was just too much, too fresh, and instead she just looked at the table cloth, ignoring his question as best as she could. Seeing that he was insulted by the lack of response, Lee decided to avoid Lilly gaining his anger and spoke out. "He died a few months after the plague. Heart attack."

"Ah, well I'm sorry for your loss." The tone in which he said the apology didn't seem very genuine to Lee. Carver knew what he was doing to Lilly, asking her questions that obviously hurt her deeply, and he found himself feeling somewhat sorry for her. He may not forgive her, though time will only tell, however he wanted to protect her from the insensitive questions their leader are hurling at her. His eyes shot over to her, finding her just staring at the table with a clear look of hurt, and he could, for once, understand what she was going through.

Even though he was hurt when he found out about his parents, Lee was at least grateful that he never saw them like that, as those things that were walking around the forests outside this community's walls, for weeks he'd dwelled on every single detail, how it happened, when it happened exactly and mostly, what their final thoughts had been, were they scared? Were they thinking about him? Wishing he was somewhere safe or wishing he was there by their side? Probably both. Eventually, he had no other choice but accept their demise, focusing on remembering the good times before this all happened.

But Lilly was different, there was no time for questions, no second thoughts, she straight up saw her father's skull crushed, right in front of her, while being covered in his blood, an image that would forever be stuck with her everytime she closed her eyes. He couldn't imagine what she must have been feeling during that. If Kenny had waited a little longer, they could have save him, or he could have came back as a walker and killed them all. Lee may not have approved of his deceased friend's decision, but he couldn't be sure if the incident could have gone any other way.

Regardless, he was pulled out of his thoughts when Carver turned his attention back to him. "You have any family, Lee?"

"No." He bluntly replied, unwilling to discuss his family, but he was aware Carver wouldn't let this go.

"What, no wife? No kids? You seem like a family man to me, especially with Sarah."

"No."

Frowning, Carver stared at him for a few seconds, as he was trying to get inside his thoughts, suddenly, his eyes got wide and he opened his mouth slightly. "Oh," he said, as a sadistic grin spread across his face at the realization. "They're all gone, aren't they?"

"Don't." Lee warned, unable to keep his cool with the past being dragged up like that. He didn't care what Carver would do to him for being rude, Lee would just accept it, but his group were good people, those whose lives were destroyed before they were taken. He would not stand for their names to be dragged by this waste of a human life.

"We're getting a bit angry, aren't we?" He noted, chuckling darkly before he pressed on. "It's a cruel world out there. Who was the leader of your little ragtag team?"

Lilly and Lee shared a look, unsure on how to answer that question. Lilly and Kenny often fought for the leadership, which ended with Lee being dragged into the middle just so he could side with one of them, though he just tried to stay on the fence as much as he could. Recalling Carley's comment on how everyone looked up to Lee, he wondered if that meant that, despite all that happened, he was the leader. Especially after Lilly left them, and Kenny was driven to his depression over Duck and Katjaa. With a long enough pause, Lee just sighed and replied. "I was."

"You? Well, it seems that it was your leadership wasn't up to scratch if you're here and they're all dead."

"Stop it." Lilly muttered, obviously getting agitated with the confrontation.

The tyrant ignored her however, and instead adopted a smirk once more as he pointed lazily at Lee. "You're lucky that you're here now. You don't have to worry about dragging anyone down, not while I'm here."

That hit something deep. Lee fell silent, unable to think of a way to reply to that, and it was apparent on Carver's face that he was smug with his victory over him. Alicia just glanced over at him sympathetically, unsure on how to comfort him without the risk of their leader becoming jealous. Lilly, on the other hand, was infuriated. The group wasn't just Lee's. They were her friends as well. She cared for Katjaa, Duck, Clementine, and even though they were always butting heads, she tried to understand Kenny. Even when she killed Carely, she showed remorse when she was told that the deceased woman was innocent. Glaring at Bill, Lee could see the guilt on her face as well.

"Bill, that's enough." she tried to interrupt, willing to incur his wrath if it meant saving Lee from the same painful questions that she was subjected to.

"It's better to say the truth, no matter how painful it is. Besides, Lee can handle it like a man, right?" Carver explained, the question at the end not really directed at anyone and was more likely just rhetorical. Lilly just took the response, and quietened down, as did the others, whilst Carver then continued. "Anyway, do you enjoy baseball, Lee?"

"I can't say I'm a fan."

"That's a shame. I thought that, because of that hat you wanted back, you enjoyed the sport. If I may ask, who does the hat belong too?"

Lee wouldn't respond to that. It was too painful thinking of it, and instead, for taking the pain of her explaining about her father, Lilly replied for him. "It belonged to a little girl from our old group."

"A little girl, and what was her name?" Carver pressed on.

"Clementine." Lilly replied, her voice heavy with sorrow. "She was eight, before she died."

"No, she was nine… her birthday was six days before she…" Lee corrected, though he couldn't push himself to finish that sentence. Alicia just stared at him, having heard about the girl he thought of as a daughter, and all she could do was offer him a silent glance of empathy.

"Well, that's sad to hear. Knowing that, I gotta ask you something, Lee." Carver sniffed, laying his hands together on top of the table, a serious stare glossing over his eyes. "That little girl died in your care. Are you gonna tell me that you can look after Sarah, and the kids in this community?"

"What kind of question is that?! Of course, I'd give my life for Sarah!" Lee snapped, banging a fist against the table, catching the attention of the people around them who just stared at both men surprised, all uncaring to the sadistic glint that twinkled in the corner of the leader's smirk, as if he was pleased with the reaction he got.

"We'll just have to wait and see then. You know, Carlos told me the same thing, and it looks like there's some truth in those words after all." He revealed. "Sad thing to happen, though it seems that Sarah believes he's still alive. You know why that is, don't you?"

"Please, I've only told her he's alive to protect her. If she finds out that he's dead, I don't even want to think what it'll do to her." Lee begged, afraid of what Carver would do with the information.

He just smirked, and shrugged as he replied. "I ain't gonna tell her. That is, if you behave that is. No trouble from you or your friends, and your little secret is safe."

Lee thought about it, his face angered at the thought of being blackmailed into being obedient, but he had no other choice. To keep Sarah safe, he had to do what Carver said. "Alright."

With another sniff, he just leaned back, his hand grabbing a spoon again as he smirked. "Anyway, we should appreciate this food that our friend here made for us, with the help of Gabriel, and let it remind us of the strength we have together, in this community. You can go back to work, Lee, as well as you, Lilly."

The two left the table faster than bats out of hell, with Lee moving back to Gabriel whilst Lilly just stared at him, thinking about following after him before deciding against it. After that talk, he would need some space. Reaching the counter, he did nothing when Gabriel offered a stare of sympathy, before pointing his head in the direction of the returned Sarah; the young teen returning from giving out bowls of food, before he explained to Lee. "Sarah came back from the school whilst you were chatting with Carver, says she wants to talk to you about something."

"I'll see what's up." Lee nodded, moving past Gabriel and towards Sarah. She was walking slowly, her face giving something off that she was upset, or something happened. The feeling of uneasiness twisted his gut, all kinds of thoughts racing through his head, Lee desperate

to figure out what was wrong, and when he reached her, his thoughts quickly turned to words. Moving with her into a corner of the room for more privacy, he finally asked her. "What's up, honey?"

"I don't know. Everyone's been really weird with me today, like really awkward. When I talk about anything, they act like the next thing I'm gonna say is about Dad." She explained, leaving the empty metal tray in a small table near them, her face grim when she then added. "He is coming back, isn't he?"

"Yeah, honey. We just gotta find him. Don't worry, he's gotta be out there somewhere, and I'm sure he misses you as much as you miss him." Lee comforted, pushing the tinge of guilt away.

Sarah just stared at the ground, her voice quiet as she mumbled. "I hope so."

"And how has your day been? Besides that."

"Hard. The guns they teach us to shoot are so heavy, and my hands hurt from holding them all day. Do your hands get like this, Lee?" Sarah asked, looking back up at him as she rubbed her blistered hands.

With a soft smile, he just rubbed the top of Sarah's head as he affectionately replied. "Yeah. You learn to get used to it, but it's important that you learn this stuff, especially if you're in a situation where I can't protect you."

"I know. It feels good to learn this stuff. I want to know how to defend myself, and to help, so that I don't be a burden on everyone, but…" Sarah paused, her smile fading away when she finished. "I just wish we never left here, 'cause then Dad would be here… Pete too."

"I'm starting to think your dad and Pete had the right idea leaving this place, Sarah." Lee explained, his voice lowering so that no one could hear their conversation.

"Why? We got shelter, food, and we don't have to worry about the walkers. I know Carver can be… mean, but Oscar said we should give him a chance." Sarah pointed out.

Lee wanted to respond to that, he wanted to ensure Sarah knew that Carver wasn't the type of person that you 'give a chance', but he wasn't able to reply when the sound of yelling and something breaking, sounding like a vase, broke out behind them. The loud ruckus brought the attention of everyone in the restaurant, including Carver, and a ring started to form around the fight that blocked the leader from getting into the middle. Lee turned to Sarah, seeing her frightened by the sudden fight, and using the tray as a shield, he could only guide her to the approaching Christa, Omid beside her with a confused expression as he yelled. "What the fuck is happening?!"

"I don't know, just keep Sarah safe while I check it out!" Lee asked, glancing down to see her panicking. Christa noticed this as well, kneeling down to her side and spoke calmly. "Sarah, come with me."

With her hands on the younger girl's shoulders, she gently guided Sarah away from the commotion, walking out of the restaurant so that Christa could help her calm down. With Sarah away from the fighting, Lee turned back to the others, nodding as he turned around and began pushing through the crowd. Out of the noises, he could hear someone in the middle of the group yell. "I just wanted some food, you fucker! I'm starving!"

"We're all starving! You just went and got yourself thrown into the Pen, so it's your fault that you're starving!" Another man roared, the sound of a fist hitting flesh loud amongst the yelling. Everyone was pushing and shoving to see what was going on, some screaming for the fighting to stop, others goding the second man to knock the other one out. It was claustrophobic. Lee couldn't stop himself from stumbling after someone tried to push their way past him, a guard, and he could only manage a withering glare before noticing it was Kristina.

"Dwight! Where are you?!" she called out, looking around frantically for her other companion. Pushing through the other survivors, Lee heard her then curse. " _Cazzo_! Move out of the FUCKING way!"

She was gone. Lee was stuck between groups of people, and only manage to push his way through to the front when someone, obviously unable to handle the situation anymore, ran off sobbing. He morphed into their space, and was shocked to see what was happening. All the guards were trying to prevent the crowd from storming into the fight, Lilly off to Lee's right shouting loudly, whilst Luke was aiming his rifle at some frightened survivors, Lee hearing him yell. "Stand back! Someone's gonna get hurt if you all push like this! Didn't you hear me, I said stand BACK!"

Seeing the two men in the middle of the crowd fight, he could hear everyone panic when one of the man, someone he hadn't seen before, pull out a knife. People began moving back, much to the guards' relief, and yet they then had to deal with someone wielding a lethal weapon. Kristina moved forwards, her gun drawn as she ordered. "Put the knife down, _stronzo!_ NOW!"

The attacker didn't listen to her demands, and instead ran for the father as everyone around screamed for someone to stop him. The victim, the father who was taking his son back to the table before, was pushed backwards from the sheer weight of his attacker, landing on his back, before struggling with the other man as a knife was pushed closer and closer to the his neck. The guards were powerless to reach the duo, having to keep the crowd from bounding into the fight and someone getting hurt, or worse, and so Lee was forced to watch as Kristina and Joel moved in. The woman grabbed the man's arm, pulling as hard as she could with a vicious. "Dammit, let go! You're gonna kill him, you fucking… Kieran!"

"Get off! Stop this right now, you fucking idiots!" Joel ordered as well, his voice drowned out by the commotion of everyone around them. Kieran struck out at them, his knife slicing through the air, before the blade caught Kristina's thigh. Plunging in deep, he just pulled it out and left the female guard to limp backwards, blood trailing after her as she gasped in pain. Falling over, she was forced to watch as Dwight ran to her side, leaving Lilly to control his part of the crowd as well. Joel was distracted by this, and so this allowed the attacker to plunge his knife in the other guard's abdomen, the only response being Joel grunting as he too backed off, his hand pressed against the wound as it turned red.

Returning to the father trapped underneath him, Kieran was caught off-guard when he was able to grab the attacker's wrist and, faster than Lee could recognize, twisted the knife around before plunging it into the attacker's neck, blood squirting out and staining his face and shirt. The father grunted loudly as he threw the dying man off of him, sitting upright as Kieran just gurgled loudly, his hands shooting up to his neck in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding, the red liquid flowing onto the clean marble floor.

The sight of the man dying on the ground, his throat torn open from the movement of being thrown backwards, sent the crowd into a blind panic. Lee could see the people at the front screaming loudly, one even vomiting loudly from the stench of blood, and the children that made it to the front were sobbing loudly, some of them being dragged away by disturbed parents. The two that remained, Lee recognized as the father's children, the elder daughter covering her mouth and nose while the son just stared in shock, tears streaming down his youthful face.

Lee was stunned by the incident. Watching, his could see the shock on Joel and the father's faces, the latter's wife running through the people with a loud cry. "Jason! Oh god, are you alright?!"

She began wiping the blood off Jason's face, but the duo froze when Carver pushed his way through the front of the crowd, gazing upon the scene with a shocked expression. Everyone was frozen, unsure on what their leader would do, before they jumped by the sheer rage in his voice. "What have you _done?!_ "

"Forgive me, Carver. He was trying to steal food from my family, my children, and when I tried to stop him… he brought a knife on me! I had to defend mys-!"

"Shut up, shut the fuck up." Carver interrupted him, moving towards the dead thief, his foot moving his face before allowing it to fall back to the side. "You know the rules, Jason."

Tess walked to Jason's side, moving his wife out of the way with the butt of her rifle, and then, with Dwight, grabbed the man's arms. Lifting him up, she stared at Carver as she awaited orders. Lee watched in horror, unable to figure out what to do, whilst Joel moved to Carver, his voice quiet and pained as he pleaded. "Bill, please. If he didn't do what he did, he would have been dead. It was self-defense."

"He killed a fellow survivor, and I have to be just." Carver shot back.

Joel frowned, his voice louder when he replied. "He is going to be executed, in front of his wife and kids, because he defended himself from a low-life that was going to kill him. How is this justice, Bill?!"

"Go with Kristina and get yourself checked out by Jack. Now." Joel was pushed back by the cold words hissed at him, and was powerless as he just hung his head, being guided away by Jack as they helped Kristina walk, the trio leaving the restaurant without looking back. With him out of the way, Carver turned back to the caught man, walking up to him as his wife began blubbering, Lee glancing to see his children watching the scene by another survivor's side. The young boy's face was frozen in terror, tears glistening the corner of his eyes whilst his elder sister clutched him tightly.

Lee glanced at the frozen Lilly, who was holding back a concerned Alicia and Kate, the child hiding her face in her mother's shirt while Alicia tried to calm her down, holding her tightly in her arms as she just watched the whole scene with a defeated look. Lilly, knowing that Alicia wasn't moving anywhere, just kneeled down and, softly, began stroking Kate's hair, trying to calm the child down. Alicia muttered something to Lilly, and the woman just accepted Kate being guided to her, lifting the child up into the arms with her short legs wrapped around Lily's waist and her head resting on the woman's shoulder, as the guard just watched Alicia move towards Carver. Glancing at Lee, the two shared a short look, before they both were brought back by the man's desperate pleas.

"Please. Please, I didn't do anything wrong! It was self-defense, everyone saw it, please don't kill me!" he begged, looking around at everyone as he called out. "Why won't anyone see how wrong this is?! You all saw it, he attacked me first! I did nothing wrong, please! PLEASE!"

"Take him away, Tess, and make sure he's tied up tight. Throw him in the cells upstairs, and stand guard until someone can come up to watch as well.." Carver explained, watching coldly as Tess and Dwight started to drag Jason away.

Staring straight at his children, his voice was cracking as he smiled. "Thomas, look at me. Look at me, sweetie. Everything will be fine, okay, don't worry. Look after your mom and big sister, okay? T-Thomas…."

His son began wailing, shoving his face in his sister's shirt as she too teared up, both of them watching as the guards dragged their father away. Lee couldn't believe what had just happened, feeling a hard grip on his arm, glancing down to see Sarah watching the whole thing. Nick was moving up to her, his face grim as he kneeled down beside her, meeting eye to eye considering his sheer height, and muttered to her. "I told you to stay with Christa outside. Come on…"

Sarah ignored him, distraught written clearly across her face as she watched the condemned survivor being dragged out of the restaurant, all that was left was his wife weeping on the floor, and his children being led away by another survivor. Carver, unreactive to what just happened, moved back to his table with Alicia's arm in hand, and ordered the crowd with a stern. "Go back to your tables!"

Everyone dispersed, some returning to their tables with pale faces, other comforting their frightened children and friends, whilst others left the restaurant completely to go to their rooms, most likely having lost their appetite. Lilly, having given Kate to Ellie, moved to kneel down by the mourning wife, her hand placed softly on her shoulder as the guard tried to comfort her. Having seen enough of the scene, Lee just turned back around to see a disturbed Christa and Omid, and Walter looked like he was ready to throw up. Staring at him, Christa just quietly snapped. "We need to talk, when we get back to the Pen."

"Yeah, we do." Lee agreed.


	21. An Arm & A Leg

Lee wasn't hungry. In fact, no one at his table seemed eager to eat and act like nothing happened after what had occurred, but forced down the food when faced with the possibility of starving. Picking up a spoonful of stew, Lee ate it slowly, as he just stared off into the distance, not really focusing on anything, which wasn't hard with the awkward silence that had just spreaded around the place. Nick and Walter were looking at him, worried for their friend, and Sarah was blankly staring at her bowl. Nick tried to convince her to eat, muttering to her quietly with a spoonful of stew raised in front of her face, and yet all he could manage to get from her was her arm gently pushing it away. Defeated, he just placed the spoon back into the bowl and rubbed her upper arm, allowing her to silently place her head against his chest.

Christa glanced at the young girl sympathetically, eating her food, before she finally spoke softly. "Sarah, aren't you hungry?"

* * *

She didn't respond. Looking at Lee, both of them shared a worried look as she gestured for him to try, obviously worried that Sarah was not eating. Placing his spoon down, Lee turned to the quiet teen, his voice also soft yet concerned as he asked. "Sarah? Honey, you need to eat. You haven't had anything since this morning."

Once again, he got no response from her, instead just watching as she gazed off into the distance. She was almost catatonic, and it frightened Lee on how powerless he was to snap her out of it, rage building up at the fight that occurred. That man, Kieran or whatever his name was, he started the fight over some food, and all that resulted in was his death, the condemnation of an innocent man, his poor family, and Sarah shutting down. It was pointless. All he could feel around him was this air of despair and hopelessness, everyone silent as they just ate their food, no one wanting to laugh or chatter away anymore. It was a stark contrast to the scene the restaurant was just an hour ago.

"She has these episodes." Nick explained, still rubbing her upper arm as the effect seemed to soothe her. "She just doesn't respond to anything. Carlos had to sit with her to pull her out of it, and taught me how to help her if he wasn't around."

The mention of Carlos seemed to have had a negative effect on Nick, his face saddened whilst he thought about his friend, keeping Sarah close with a protective hold. Lee was sympathetic to the duo, realising the closeness they had with the deceased doctor, having been with him a lot longer than they had with him or the others. Nick sighed deeply, turning his attention back to Sarah, who had returned her attention to the bowl in front of her. With a quiet voice, he explained to her. "Hey, kid. You're safe now, the fighting had stopped. How about we have some food before we go back to the Pen, yeah?"

Sarah started to sit up on her own, moving away from Nick, and grabbed the spoon in her bowl. Lifting it up, with a saddened expression, she ate the food without saying a word to anyone. Lee may not have liked how closed off she was, but it was an improvement, he didn't want her to starve tonight. Everyone resumed eating themselves. Lee just sat there, thinking deeply, whilst listening to the crickets chirping outside, seeing the sun setting behind the horizon through the glass doors. The sky was dyed different shades of red, orange and purple, the rays from the sun fading away as the night sky became darker and darker, the moon starting to show through the approaching inkiness.

The fabric laying on the balcony table and everyone's hair moved with the winds, and Lee couldn't help but frown at the thought of sleeping tonight, exposed to the cold elements that signalled the encroaching winter, the season seemed to become harsher each year. The restaurant was warmer than the rest of the building, mostly due to the fires that Gabriel kept going in the ovens, the doors left open to allow the heat to flood through the room. Looking around, he could see that everyone had a jacket or many layers of clothes on, some with scarfs in an attempt to battle the cold. Whilst he was looking around, he could hear Omid speak up. "Christa, is everything okay, are you cold?."

"I'm just not prepared to go back to the Pen tonight. It's gonna be winter soon, are they really gonna keep us out there?" she asked, afraid of the answer as Lee turned back around to her. Glancing down, she took a deep breath and muttered. "I don't even wanna think about what it's doing to the baby."

"She can't keep sleeping out there." Walter pointed out, desperate about her and the group's situation. "Maybe if we talk to Carver-"

"After what he just did?! I'd rather take my chances." Christa spat, her thoughts about the leader made clearly. Lee agreed with her, nodding, as he just crossed his arms and leaned back. He didn't want to go and beg Carver to take Christa out of the Pen, not while he's being blackmailed with the thought of Carver telling Sarah about her father, and yet when he sees the concern on the couple's faces, he couldn't help but kick himself for being so useless. Omid and Christa were his friends, the closest he had since Kenny died.

Omid sighed loudly. "Maybe we should, Christa. If it saves you and the baby, we gotta do what we gotta do, even if we don't want to."

"Jesus. Honestly, I wish we were back at the cabin. It might not have been that big for our group, but at least it was warm and safe." She complained, glancing at her white and purple jacket. "This is getting a bit tight now. Soon we'll have to find bigger clothes…"

"You can have my jacket for now." Omid offered, moving to remove his when his girlfriend stopped him, gently placing her hand on his with a sad smile.

"Thanks, Omid, but it's too small for me. You ain't exactly the biggest person here." She explained, looking around at everyone else. "Everyone else seems to have the right idea, though. Layering up might stop the cold."

"Maybe there's some clothes that we can use? Like, I don't know, from survivors here that didn't make it?" Lee asked, feeling somewhat guilty about thinking of taking clothes from dead people, but seeing Nick think peaked his interest.

After a few seconds, Nick turned to Lee and replied. "There might be some clothes that we can have, but you'd have to talk to Laurel, she's the lady who took inventory of everything that Howe's has. Food, supplies, even clothes, and she's strict on who gets what. You want clothes, you have to go and talk to her." Nick finished, glancing around, defeated. "Problem is, I can't see her, and we gotta go back to the Pen soon for the night."

"Look, it'll be fine for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll go and find her and see if she can spare anything." Christa explained, though she was visibly concerned with their situation. Lee sighed, rubbing his forehead with his finger and thumb, before he noticed footsteps behind them. Turning around, he saw Lilly standing behind them, her rifle being held in her hand with the barrel pointed at the ground. She seemed exhausted, a grim look on her face, and the blood on her sleeve was something that Lee focused on, the stain must have being from when she was comforting the father's wife after he was dragged away.

When she spoke, her voice was just a tired drone, and she could only softly ask them. "They're closing the restaurant soon, so I gotta take you guys back to the Pen."

"Lilly, can I ask you something?" Lee suddenly asked, standing up to face her properly.

"Sure thing, Lee. What is it?" she replied.

"You think you can find some clothes for Christa? It's freezing in the Pen, and we don't want it affecting her or the baby, I mean, what is she gets sick?" he pleaded. Lilly seemed uncomfortable with the response, her gaze moving from Lee to Christa and the others, before she spoke.

"Sure. I'll take you guys to the Pen and then go and find Laurel, see if she can give anything up. Though I'm warning you, she might not give up anything this late." She conceded, before gesturing for everyone to get going. The group stood up from their tables, Nick holding Sarah under his arm as the two followed Lilly and Lee out of the restaurant, leaving Gabriel to clean up the plates in preparation for breakfast tomorrow.

The community at night was silent, eerily so, and the guards that walked around were not the same ones that walked around during the day. The windows let in some of the light from outside, although not much, and Lee could see lights from the headband torches that the active guards were wearing. Lilly just turned towards the stairs, pausing when she noticed someone walking towards the room that was opposite to the flight of stairs. Turning to Lee, she muttered for them to stay there, before running after the person, yelling loudly. "Laurel!"

The woman stopped walking when she heard her name, hidden by the darkness as Lee watched them converse, their voices quiet mutters before he saw Laurel rub her face. Turning back to Christa, she just shrugged with exasperation, before the duo turned back just in time to see Laurel pass Lilly something, the latter nodding and then turning back to the group waiting for her. As she walked back to them, Lee saw Laurel just shaking her head whilst walking back to her room. While he was watching her, he heard Lilly explain. "I got the key to the stores where we keep our stuff. I just gotta take you guys to the Pen, then I'll get the stuff you need and bring it back. I might be a while though, Laurel is adamant that I fill in the forms on what I took."

"Sure thing. Thanks, by the way, for doing this." Christa smiled. Lilly was thrown off by the sincere gratitude, but managed to smile softly in response, before nodding to the flight of stairs and resumed walking, the rest of the group following her. Omid grunted as he started walking again, his leg obviously hurting him again. Christa frowned, helping him to keep up with the group, whilst Lee moved to help as well. Walter did so instead, helping the short male whilst giving a reassuring smile to Lee, receiving one back as he just continued following after Lilly.

Running up to her side, he just walked with her in silence, enjoying the quiet and calm scenery. They shared no words. Reaching the top of the stairs, they just continued down the flight with the rest of the group behind them, Lee glancing back to make sure Omid and Christa were fine, spotting Sarah holding onto Nick's shirt as they neared the Pen. He felt terrible for her, seeing the fear on her face at the thought of spending another night out there. The duo at the front were the first to reach the bottom of the flight, and Lilly wasted no time moving to the shutters. Instead of Kristina and Dwight standing watch, it was two other guards, both never seen by Lee before. They didn't bother to converse with Lilly, instead one of them opening the shutters and gesturing with his gun for the group to get in.

Christa, Omid and the others went through into the Pen, and Lee followed after when with a quiet mutter directed to Lilly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lee." She replied, walking off to go to the community supply storage. When he was fully in the walled off enclosure, the shutters were closed behind him, leaving the group trapped in the freezing cold outside pen for the night. Rubbing his arms, he saw his group sitting around the campfire, a few children he didn't see before sitting with them. Confused, he walked over to the lawn chairs, staring down at one of the children as he just stared into the fire. Immediately, he recognized the child as the one who was in the restaurant before, Thomas, with his sister just weeping softly in a chair beside him.

"What the fuck…" he muttered, glancing over at Walter as he now tried comforting the teenager. "Why are the kids in here?"

"Not just them, their mother is over there." Nick grumbled, looking behind his shoulder. Lee followed his gaze and spotted the wife lying on the makeshift bed in the corner of the room, her back facing the rest of the survivors. With a frown, he just looked back as Nick then added. "Carver threw them in here because of their dad, he says that they gotta learn not to make the same mistakes as he did."

"That's why I said we needed to talk," Christa started, staring up at Lee as she continued. "About what we're gonna do."

"What you thinking?" He asked, sitting down in a chair in front of her.

"We're leaving. We can't stay here with this fucker in charge, not when our lives could be in danger. You saw what he did to that man earlier during dinner. What do you think he'll do if we do something he might not like?" she pressed, being mindful of speaking about this in front of the teenager and the young boy.

Lee didn't respond, instead just frowning as he stared at her, watching as Omid added in. "Well, we ain't getting outta here if we're stuck in this pen. Unless you wanna grow wings."

"Shut up. Look, maybe we can figure out some weak point in this place, a gap in the guard rotation, something." Christa pointed out, looking over to Nick as she then asked. "You escaped before. Any points?"

Thoughtful, Nick rubbed his face as he hummed. "I don't know. We managed to escape because of Carlos and Luke, and we weren't stuck in the Pen. Any holes that we used last time, Carver most probably plugged up. Like it or not, we're stuck unless we get outside help."

"Shit." Lee swore, leaning back in his chair with a defeated look. Everyone just glanced at each other, desperate for some way to magically appear, but they got nothing, and instead the only response that the group got was a loud knock on the shutters door. Standing back up, Lee just held his hand up to stop Christa from going instead, before he walked briskly over as he watched the shutters open. Behind them was Lilly again, clothes in her hands as she smiled.

When he reached her, she passed them over with a cheerful. "I got her some looser-fitting clothes, plus a scarf and a larger jacket. I'm sorry I couldn't get anything for you guys, but Laurel would literally kill me for taking stuff for anyone else but Christa."

"This is fine. Thanks, Lilly." Lee replied gratefully, looking down at the items of clothing in his hands.

Moving back into the main building, Lilly just nodded and walked away whilst the shutters closed once more. Turning back, he walked over to the small campfire and handed the clothing over to Christa, smiling as he explained. "Lilly just came back. Got you a few things that should keep you warm."

Taking the clothes, she looked through them surprised, glancing back up at Lee as she confessed. "I didn't think she'd get me all this. I was just expecting a thicker shirt."

"Why don't you go over there and get changed?" Omid suggested. Christa nodded, standing up and walking over to the shelves, hiding behind one of them as she began to change her clothes. Lee looked away to give her some privacy, instead focusing on Omid, seeing his friend rubbing his injured leg.

"How's your leg, Omid?" he asked, sitting back down as he looked down at the bandaged limb.

After a few moments, he stopped rubbing it and, with a heavy sigh, leaned back. "It feels better than it did this morning. How's your face?"

"The pain's gone down, but it's still hard to breathe." Lee complained, having forgotten all about his wounds. Feeling the bridge of his nose, he winced at the tenderness of the tissue and cartilage, leaving it alone as he just moped. Thinking of the conversation, he couldn't help but become depressed at Nick's words. Without outside help, they were stuck until they were killed by the psychotic monster they call their leader, and it just stuck with Lee like a stubborn itch in the back of his mind. Feeling the air of hopelessness around him, Omid just tried to think of a way to cheer him up and, when seeing his face, realised that Lee wasn't in the mood for jokes. Their situation was real.

Something moved towards them and, glancing at them, Lee realised that it was Christa returning, wearing a looser dark shirt with a navy ski jacket on, the scarf sitting underneath the collar of the jacket. She paused by the chairs, leaning against Omid's chair as she sighed. "It's best if we get some sleep. We can figure this all out in the morning, before work."

Nodding in agreement, Lee grunted as he stood up, not realising how tired he was until he actually stood up, feeling his bones crack and muscles ache from excursion. Omid seemed eager for some shut eye, practically hopping to his feet, pausing for a second when his leg did not agree with the sudden movement, before he smirked at Christa, who was just shaking her head. The couple made their way to their bed, Lee spotting Christa's old jacket being folded on it that she could lie on, wondering how her back is doing considering her pregnancy and the hardness of their 'bed'. Stifling a yawn, he too made his way to his own bed, watching Walter show the two new additions to their beds, frowning sadly at the thought of them sleeping out in the cold, afraid and upset over their father.

Nick himself was right behind Lee, Sarah walking beside him as he glanced down, his voice low as he whispered to her. "You wanna bunk with me tonight?"

"Yes, please." She nodded, following Nick as he sat on the shelf that served as a makeshift bed just beside Lee's spot, lifting up the thin blanket that they were all given and raising his gangly legs up into bed, before Sarah wiggled into him for extra warmth. The two settled down quickly, and Lee himself sat down on the shelf slats, feeling the familiar discomfort climb up his spine as he lied down, resting his head on the pillow and pulling the blanket up, making a cocoon that he hoped would keep himself warm. Lying on his side, he stared at Nick and Sarah, the duo facing him, with the teenage girl drifting off slowly. Nick, however, was as awake as Lee was, and could only manage a worrying stare as Lee returned it, sighing to himself as he closed his eyes and attempted to sleep.

He could feel himself drift off, and knowing the work he had tomorrow, allowed this moment of bliss. The hours seemingly flew by, and Lee didn't know how many hours he manage to sleep through, but the sudden sound of shouting, screaming and gunfire shocked him from his slumber. Shooting upright, he was still groggy as his mind tried to make sense of what was happening, his body slow and sluggish whilst he attempted to get out of bed. Tripping over his feet, Lee grunted loudly as he impacted with the cold ground, his face scrunched in pain whilst he glanced around frantically.

No one were in their beds.

Pushing himself up, he quickly shot over to the shutters, seeing that they were open, and ran for them, his voice loud and panicked as he called out. "Sarah! Christa! Omid! Where are you guys?!"

No one responded to him. Reaching the shutters, he peeked outside to see that there were no guards standing watch, feeling something deeply wrong with everything. The sound of yelling and gunfire could be heard from the main loading bay beside the Pen, the sound of grenades hitting the ground quickly followed by explosions from far away, which made him cover his ears, the room slowly sneaking into the place, Lee ran after the source, desperate for some answers on what was going on, and yet he only found madness when he found the door practically off its hinges. Looking in, he was shocked to see bodies littering the floor, the people that were alive fighting a losing battle with the undead that were storming through the open shutters, Lilly quickly being one of them, in the middle of the chaos. From his spot, he called over to her. "Lilly!"

"Lee!? What are you doing here!? I told everyone to evacuate upstairs and barricade the stairs!" she explained, driving her machete into the skull of an incoming walker before kicking the corpse away. "Get out of here, now!"

Seeing the sheer number of the undead that were flooding in, Lee just shook his head and yelled back. "Lilly, there's too many of them! We gotta go!"

"Lee, I'm not fucking around, go and meet up with the others!" she ordered, shooting at the approaching walkers that were driving a wedge between her, the other guards and Lee. He couldn't reach her, and felt powerless, even more when he watched them overwhelm her, her screams being cut off by the sickening sounds of flesh being torn and the nonstop gunfire. One of the other guards yelled out for her, cutting through the horde with their weapon in a vain attempt to save her, before they too joined Lilly as the walkers consumed them. The other guards, tired and running low on ammo, tried to reach the door where Lee was, and yet they were stranded by the wall of walkers that stood between them and freedom. Some, desperate to flee the incoming undead, tried to climb the shelves, and were only tugged back down by the decayed hands before being consumed as well, the screams of agony ringing against Lee's ears.

Devastated, Lee just yelled from the door. "Lilly!"

He couldn't believe it. She was gone, and the dead were not satisfied with their newfound dinner, some of them focusing on him. Backing up, Lee turned on his foot and ran for the stairs, spotting a hatchet that had been abandoned on the floor, amongst the other rubbish. Grabbing it, he continued until he saw that the survivors had ignored Lilly's orders, and the dead were tumbling down the stairs at him, gunshots taking some of them out.

Readying his weapon, Lee threw it down on top of a walker's skull, grunting loudly as he tore it out, blood flying outwards and landing on his jeans. He turned his attention to the others and, ascending up the flight of stairs, began to kill the undead one by one, making his way through them, pushing them down the stairs to slow the others that were following him. The blood from the walkers stained his shirt, his face and his hands, yet he still kept going, trying to walk over the pile of corpses that was accumulating on the stairway, killing the ones that tried to grab him by his ankles. Finally reaching the top of the stairs, he was completely tired and breathless, feeling his arms burning, and to make it worse he felt his heart drop when he saw a particular walker shamble towards him, its hat missing to reveal his messy black hair, and a huge open wound on the shoulder area. Nick didn't make it. With the undead friend in arm's reach, Lee just winced as he apologized. "I'm sorry."

He only got growls in response, and then nothing when his hatchet was embedded into Nick's skull, the body falling down as Lee quickly continued trying to find the rest of his group, as the walkers in the opposite stairwell were trying to reach him too. The sound of flesh being torn caught his attention however, and he couldn't help but retch when he saw who exactly was feasting on a body. The corpse, with its chewed face making it unrecognizable, could have been anyone, if he didn't realise Omid's jacket amongst the blood stains that clearly showed the man had been shot multiple times, probably caught in the middle of the shooting. The walker, as if it make the moment even worse, was an undead Christa, the sick fact that they remained close even after death entering his mind. He couldn't leave them like that, and so swung his weapon down on her head, looking away as blood splattered against him, before he pulled it out.

Standing there, as if life had been drained out of him, he didn't notice a growling noise behind him until he was pushed over, wrestling with a walker that had snuck up on him. His bones ached, his wrist pained from the quick twist to fight off the undead, and Lee pushed it away with all the strength he had left, though he was caught off guard by an explosion, coming from a shop nearby, the flying glass made him stumble backwards, his feet tripping on his friends' corpses, another one quickly joined, this time a few feet away from him, he couldn't hear a thing as it exploded, a beeping sound stuck inside his ears, blocking out every other noise, the ground trembled under him, he felt himself fall along with that part of the second floor, his head connecting with the solid floor, his vision blacked out. When he came around, the walker that attacked him was lying dead with a weapon embedded into the back of its skull. He stood up the best he could, he couldn't move his leg and it was in an unnatural position, he screamed in agony. He looked around for people, and when he couldn't see them, he moved slowly to the nearest shop that was surprisingly still intact, leaning on the wall. Everywhere hurt. His wrist felt like it was on fire, meaning that he sprained it probably, he could feel every broken bone on his leg pressing against his flesh, and he was so weak that he had to use his whole body to push the door open.

Stumbling in, he was too slow to dodge the bookshelf that was pushed on top of him, pinning him down as he cried out in pain, although the weight on top of him didn't hurt as much as it should have been, once he realized this, he also noticed the pain on his whole body was gone. Glancing up, he saw Sarah, her face covered in the dark blood of the undead, and tears streamed down her face. With a voice that was full of anguish, she sounded like she was in complete pain as she screamed. "Leeee!"

He tried to talk to her, to try and calm her down, and help him get the bookshelf off so that they could try to escape, but he was completely shocked when he saw her raise her gun at him. Confused, he once more tried to speak, and that was when he finally noticed that all he could manage were deep growls and moans, reaching his hand out to only see that it was decayed, the skin greyed and the bite on his wrist clear to see. Confusion and fear set in, and Lee could only growl whilst in his mind, he begged Sarah to run. The gun in her hand was shaking, and he could see that she didn't want to pull the trigger, but she had to, for her own safety. That was when he noticed something behind her, a small walker shuffling towards her with its arm stretched out.

He quickly recognized the yellow dress, the wavy black hair, and a blue baseball cap on top.

"Clementine…? This can't be..." He thought, seeing the young girl groaning softly as she quickly stumbled towards Sarah, her body moving spasmodically and as she was about to fall apart .

He tried to warn Sarah, but could only growl louder and move his arms as he was trying to reach her, which startled the teenager even more. She looked away, and as Clementine started to run towards her, grabbing her by her jacket and pulling her by wrapping her arms around her waist, Sarah pulled the trigger, and Lee sat upright with a loud yell.

Panting loudly, he frantically looked around, seeing everyone lying in their bed, although Nick was awoken from Lee's loud protests. Groggily, he slowly sat up slightly as to not wake Sarah, his voice low as he asked. "Lee... you alright, man?"

Staring down at his shaking hands, feeling himself completely covered in cold sweat, Lee couldn't even begin to process what had just happened. Everything he seen. Everything that he experienced. It all seemed so real, and the thought that it could easily happen frightened him to no end, and yet he couldn't worry his friends. They all had their own problems, he couldn't bear to be one of them. So, he just laid back down, feeling his heart beating furiously, and trying to control his breathing, he muttered to Nick. "Y-Yeah…" almost inaudible, as he was terrified his voice wouldn't come out or that he would hear a growl. "Just, a bad dream...Don't worry about it."

"Alright… Try to get some sleep, it should be sunrise soon." Lee didn't bother to respond, instead staring at the bottom of the above shelf whilst Nick drifted back to sleep. Listening to everyone snoring softly, save for Omid's obnoxious snoring, Lee covered his eyes with his hands and groaned, before shoving one under his pillow and feeling around. Finding Clementine's hat, he pulled it in front of his face, taking in the worn fabric and the old bloodstain beside the large purple D.

Holding it close to his chest, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep once more, taking in the sound of the crickets chirping in the distance. After the nightmare, he was thankful for the rest of his slumber being dreamless. Eventually, he woke up again and looked up at the sky, seeing that the sun hadn't risen fully yet, the sky dyed blue, green and yellow. Sitting up, he groaned as the bones in his spine clicked into place, rubbing his back in a vain attempt to get rid of the stiffness. Thinking about whether he should go back to sleep again, but he could hear someone muttering off in the corner of the room.

Standing up, he peeked over to see the daughter kneeling beside the bed that her mother was sleeping in, her voice low and oddly panicked as her hands continued to try and rouse the sleeping woman. Walking over, he placed a hand on the daughter's shoulder, frowning at how she tensed up, her tired face shot around to look up at him, and he could see clearly that she had not slept at all throughout the night. Softly, as to not wake anyone up, he sighed. "It's best to let her sleep, sweetheart. It's been a hard time, for all of you, so why don't you go back to bed?

"She's not waking up. I think she might be sick." The teenage sniffed, turning back to her mother, who was breathing heavily when Lee paid enough attention to her.

"She most probably cold… Here, let me grab her another blanket." He offered, moving back to his bed to grab his. The mother was most probably frozen half to death, considering she's been lying there with only a thin blanket on, and she didn't seem to be wearing many layers when he remembered her back at the restaurant. With the thin fabric in his hand, he returned to the daughter's side and laid the blanket on top of her mother, unable to shake the worrying in his gut.

Glancing at the daughter, he decided to try and get her mind off everything and asked her. "So, what's your name?"

"Connie. My brother is Thomas, and my mom's name is Emma." She explained, her hand still resting on Emma's shoulder.

Staring at the sleeping woman, Lee just yawned and rubbed his eye, before he replied. "I'm Lee. Your family been here long?"

"Not really," she admitted, glancing up at Lee as she continued. "We were taken in a few weeks ago. Mom and I worked in construction while Thomas had to go to the school. My dad… He often helped Ellie with the animals."

"I'm sorry about your dad. It must be hard." Lee apologized, feeling sympathy for the young girl.

Connie didn't respond to his sympathy, instead just staring down at her mother, obviously more concerned for her at the moment than thinking about her father's impending execution. Unsure on what to do, he just looked around, seeing that everyone else was still sleeping, and turned back to find that she was shivering violently. A harsh wind blew through the outdoor pen, biting Lee even through his thick leather jacket, and so he just grabbed her attention with a gentle suggestion. "Why don't you go back to bed with your brother? It's freezing, and we aren't meant to be up for another hour or so."

"Do you think she'll be ok?" Connie asked, moving her hand to caress her mother's cheek, only to wince visibly. "She's freezing cold. Here, I just need to move the blanket up more, make sure she doesn-"

Both of them were caught off guard when Emma growled loudly, followed by Connie's loud screams as she tried to pull her arm away, her mother attached to her wrist with her teeth sinking into the flesh. Blood trailed down her limb, dripping down on the floor as the teenager tried to pull away, Emma moving with her and allowing Lee to fully see her. Shocked when he saw her face, he could see that Emma had in fact reanimated, soulless grey eyes staring at Connie as she screamed a the top of her lungs. "Get her off! Mom, please stop! Mom!"

Lee was quick to her rescue, grabbing hold of the walker's shoulders and pulling her, wincing when the flesh it bit down teared away from the limb, exposing the pearly white bone underneath the blood that poured out. Connie could only whimper in pain, her strength quickly draining, and Lee couldn't help her with the walker turning its attention to him. Whilst he struggled with it, he could see that the screams had rose people up, Nick jumping to his feet when he saw Lee in danger. Instantly, he could feel the weight of the walker bearing down on him lifted and, with the combined strength of Nick, pushed it off. The undead collapsed on the ground, groaning loudly as Christa pulled Connie away from it, before it tried to crawl over to them. Lee stopped it, pinning it down on the ground as he called out to Nick. "Find something to bash its brains in!"

Frantically, Nick looked around for something and, having spotted something, moved quickly to grab it. Lee grunted loudly as he tried to keep the walker at bay, keeping his hands on its neck to prevent it biting him, arms flailing wildly at him to try and grab him, before a knife was plunged into its eye socket. The organ was pierced by the blade, blood and other fluids dripping out of the socket, and the arms fell to the ground lifeless. Panting, Lee moved off of it, grimacing at the sight, before he turned his attention to Christa, the woman trying to calm Connie down as she just laid there, her wrist being held to her chest.

Kneeling down, he listened as Christa snapped. "She's been bit. We gotta take it off!"

"Take it off? Her entire fucking arm?!" Nick snapped, pulling the knife out of the walker as he turned his head to the pair.

"What else can we do, let her die?!" Christa hissed, turning to Lee. "Do we have anything to take it off?"

"Only that." He pointed at the knife in Nick's hand, and grimaced at the blood that was dripping from it. "It's covered in walker blood, though. It'll kill her if we use it."

"There's some bottles of water on the table. Nick, I need you to clean the blood off with that, and then hold the blade over the fire for a minute. Lee, get my jacket from my bed, we'll need something to wrap around her arm after we're done." Christa ordered, moving Connie's head onto her lap as she glanced up, spotting the brother standing there with Omid. "Omid, take Thomas away from here!"

"Come on, kid." He whispered, moving Thomas with his arm as he gave one last glance at the dying Connie, as Walter ran up to help Christa with the girl. With the little boy out of the way, Lee jumped to his feet and ran to their bed, spotting the purple jacket that was lying on the slats. Grabbing it, he spotted Nick cleaning the blade with the bottled water he swiped from the table, tossing the bottle away as he then held the knife over the fire that was still burning. Lee couldn't keep still however, and ran back to Christa's side, seeing her wrap a belt tightly around Connie's upper arm.

"Give it here." Christa ordered, taking the jacket when it was handed to her. Nick appeared by Lee's side, holding the clean knife in his hand as he listened to Christa. "Nick, I need you to cut it off."

"What?!"

"Nick, we really don't have time for this. Cut. It. Off!" Christa emphasised, looking down at connie's pained face before staring up at Nick, who just glanced at Lee with a panicked expression. Knowing that they were wasting time, Lee just growled under his breath and snatched the knife from his fellow survivor, moving so that he could get at Connie's arm, the limb laid on top of Christa's jacket to prevent any of the dirt or debris getting into the wound. Looking down at it, Lee couldn't believe he was doing this, realising how fucked up the situation was, but knew that he had to do it. Pressing the blade against her flesh just below her elbow, he took a deep breath before, being goaded by Christa's serious glare, started sawing into the flesh.

The girl's screams rang in his ears. If anyone was out there, he was sure that they could hear them, and just decided to ignore them. Trying to be as quick as he could, he started sawing back and forth frantically, desperate to get the limb off as quick as possible. Nick's face paled, before he just moved away to vomit and, although he handled it better, Walter looked like he was not far from joining him. The blood was pooling under the cut limb and stained the jacket red, Christa trying to stop Connie from pulling away as she flailed frantically, her screams echoing through the room and out into the world outside. Getting through the skin and muscle was hard, but when he reached the bone did Lee realise how difficult it would quickly become, unsure how to continue.

"You gotta break the bone!" Christa informed, trying hard to keep Connie from escaping. Lee's face dropped, showing how much he didn't want to do this, but he had to. Quickly, he broke the bone in the arm, wincing at the lack of response from the victim, and then carried on sawing. Eventually, he succeeded in removing the limb, holding back bile at the sight of the arm detached from the rest of Connie's body.

Slowly, he heard Christa mutter. "She must have passed out, poor thing. We gotta cauterize the wound to stop the bleeding, just hold the metal to the fire and make sure it's not glowing."

Lee did as he was asked, moving towards the fire and reheating the knife, watching carefully to make sure he didn't overheat the metal. Removing it, he returned to Christa's side and watched as she pressed the hot metal against the cut flesh, the bleeding slowly down as she made erh way through the entirety of the wound. Doing as best as she could, she looked down at her bloodied jacket, tearing it apart and using the most clean bits to wrap up the wound. Looking at her handiwork, it wasn't professional, but it would do the job until they can get her to Jack, and Lee was pleased that they gave Connie a chance. Glancing around however, he could see Walter and Nick recovering from vomiting, Omid trying to console a weeping Thomas, and Sarah was watching from her bed, her saddened face saying it all.

Returning to Connie, he sighed at her tired face, barely conscious. Christa moving slowly whilst keeping her head supported. "We best get her on the bed."

Just as she said that, the shutters opened quickly and, watching the people run in, Lee spotted Luke bound in suddenly. Glancing around, he saw the trio lying on the floor. His face was visibly shocked at the sight of Connie, her arm lying beside them, detached from her body, and he couldn't find the words to say. Lee was angry, tired and could feel the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, and yet all he could manage was a weak request. "Can you take her to the doctor!? She's been bit."

"Y-Yeah, man, fuck, how did this happen?" Luke asked, staring at Christa and Lee as the other guards moved to take Connie. Letting them take her, Lee rubbed his eyes, clearly exhausted, and just muttered.

"Her mom… fuck. She died in the middle of the night, and bit her. Why didn't anyone come in, we were screaming the place down!" he growled, angry at the guards. Connie could have died if Christa didn't take charge of the situation. Luke couldn't respond to that, mostly because he didn't want to tell them, and so he just turned to the unconscious girl.

"You guys better try to rest some more." He suggested, leaving with the other guards. "There's a long day ahead of us."


	22. Injustice

Lee didn't sleep. In fact, no one could after the guards took Connie's unconscious body away about an hour ago, all of them were sitting around the firepit since, unable to talk after the traumatic incident, and they could only hope the poor girl made it. His head was banging, he rubbed his temples and moving his hands away again, he saw the blood that caked his fingers and palms, the red liquid still somewhat wet and sticky, all he could do was wipe them on his pants in an effort to clean them.

Christa sat on the chair next to him, staring at the ruined jacket remains, the purple and white fabric stained in blood, and so, with a heavy sigh, she threw them into the dying fire. The flames burned through the clothing, growing stronger when she used a broken wooden plank to move the charred remains around. Watching her, he didn't say anything as she quietly muttered. "You think this shit would get easier…"

He agreed silently, he couldn't deny her statement, as much as they all tried to convince themselves they were finally safe, it was always the same story repeating itself, a part of him was aware of it and was constantly reminding him since the moment him and his old group left the St. John's dairy long time ago. _It wasn't over_ , it never would and it was hard to ignore that feeling, specially in situations like these.

Glancing over at the rest of the survivors sitting in the walled off enclosure, he saw Sarah sitting on the bed with Thomas beside her, a book that she smuggled in held in her hands as she read to him, allowing the child to lean against her whilst he listened intently, although he was sure he was only thinking about his father and sister, he could hear him sobbing softly every once in a while, clinging to the teenager as Sarah hugged him tightly in return, attempting to comfort him. Nick was sitting beside them, his hat moved downwards, leaning against the wall, sleeping the rest of who knows how long they had left before they had to go back to work.

Smiling bittersweetly at the scene, he moved his gaze and spotted Walter sitting at the long table, conversing with Omid whilst keeping his back to the large bloodstain on the floor, Lee as well avoiding it like the plague. They had no way to clean it up, and so the group would be stuck with the horrid reminder for as long as they are trapped in the Pen. The mother's body was gone at least, some of the people coming to take it away to avoid it decaying and stinking the place, so they didn't have to deal with the corpse. Time flew by whilst he was glancing around, he heard the banging on the shutters, along with someone yelling for them to back up. No one moved when the shutters opened, revealing Luke along with Dwight and another unknown guard, and the only sound that anyone spoke was Christa's grumbling. "Here we go."

"We want just the adults for now. Sarah, Thomas, you two will stay here until the shifts start." Luke explained, waiting for the adults to stand up.

"Wait," Lee started, standing up from his chair. "Why are the kids staying here?"

"Carver says, I have no idea why." He replied abruptly, and Lee could tell he was lying. The man sighed, and this time spoke in a more soft tone. "Let's just do what he says, yeah?"

With that, he gestured for everyone to exit the Pen, standing watch as Sarah walked up to Lee, staring up at him with a worried expression. Lee returned her stare, trying his best to smile and yet he couldn't bring himself to lie. She was right to be afraid, but he just placed his hand on her shoulder and promised. "I'll be back soon, take care of Thomas, alright?."

"Alright, Lee." She nodded, turning back to see Thomas standing behind her, holding tightly onto her jacket, the small boy barely reaching her waist, and Lee felt his stomach twist. glancing up at the adults getting ready to leave. Lee smiled sadly at him, feeling sympathy for the poor child. It must have been terrifying for him. Without his sister there, and the incident with his mother, Lee didn't feel good about leaving them there. Sarah seemed to have develop a closeness with the young boy, and the pen was pretty safe so far, but that didn't mean that they should just leave the children alone.

"We don't have all day, come on!" The unknown guard yelled impatiently.

Quickly leading the little boy away, Sarah whispered to him gently. "Hey, buddy, how about we read that book you like?"

Lee watched them go. Feeling a nudge on his shoulder, he turned to see Christa silently nodding for him to follow the rest, before she left with Omid beside her. Watching them, he noticed that Omid's leg was getting better, the younger man no longer limping or needing his girlfriend's help to walk properly, and he seemed to have better luck keeping up with the others. Luke turned to him, obviously uncomfortable about where they were going, and just stared at Lee as he finally exited the Pen, turning back and glancing at Sarah with Thomas on her bed, reading the book once more before the shutter blocked him from her. Sighing deeply, he carried on following after his friends as the doors closed behind them, and glanced at the guards that were with them.

Dwight seemed tired, exhausted even, with his shoulders slumped and his rifle only being held in one hand, the end of the weapon supported by his shoulder. Remembering Kristina's attack last night, Lee wondered about her and Joel, concerned about their welfare, and yet he didn't think it was his place to ask Dwight about it. From what he looked like, Lee could tell that he stayed up the rest of the night. Deciding to ask, he got closer to the man, walking a little bit away from the group for privacy and muttered. "How are Kristina and Joel, Dwight?"

He glanced up, looking straight at Lee, before he just sighed. "Joel is alright, the fucker missed anything important, so you might see him around. Kristina…She's gonna be out of action for a couple more days. She could have died if the knife went an inch more to the right! Jesus, I just want her to stay safe..."

"I'm sorry, man. She'll be okay, though, don't worry." Lee tried to comfort, and only received a grunt and a nod from Dwight before the duo walked in silence, returning with the rest of the group. Passing the doctor's office, he noticed Jack coming out of the room, he locked the door and placed the key in his pocket. Turning around, he saw the group walking towards the stairs and jogged awkwardly over to them, calling out to Lee whilst doing so.

Gazing over, he watched Jack finally reach them and, smiling softly, began to ask. "Hey, I thought I was gonna have to find you myself. After this summons, I want you to nip down to my office for a health check, just to see if all your symptoms are gone and you're healthy enough to work."

"I'm feeling fine." Lee brushed off, frowning deeply as his voice dropped. "How's Connie?"

The mention of the girl caused Jack's smile to vanish, and instead he appeared saddened, almost defeated in a way, as he just revealed. "I did the best I could. I cleaned the wound, bandaged it and gave her antibiotics, well, those that I could give. She's unconscious, however. Kristina's keeping her company for a while, we'll just have to wait and see if she wakes up again."

"Shit. Christa and I thought we were doing the right thing cutting it off, but now… I don't know." Lee replied dejectedly, feeling confidence in his decision waning.

Christa seemed shaken by this revelation as well, her face grim as she too responded. "If she doesn't wake up… we put her and her little brother through all of that, for nothing."

"I'm sure she's just exhausted. We did the right thing, giving her a chance. Not many people are willing to help these days, not even their own friends." Nick pointed out, trying his best to make the group feel better. His words had a positive effect on Christa, who offered the kind-hearted companion a warm smile, whereas Lee himself found difficulty in finding solace in what was said and noticed certain bitterness in his voice. Regardless of everyone's feeling towards the subject, Luke had no more patience to spare for talking as he glared at Nick, Lee understanding now who was the comment aimed at, and continued walking at a faster pace in the direction of the loading bay.

"See you later, Lee." Jack said, waving his hand, as he turned back, quickly returning to his workplace.

The location of choice peaked Lee's interest, an eyebrow raised in question as he stared at the large doors, waiting for Luke to open before he would have any clue as to why all the adults were being summoned to this part of the community. Slowly, Luke opened the door and peered inside, turning his head to gesture for the others to follow him as he swung the door open fully, walking in whilst the other survivors followed. Seeing the scene, Lee's stomach began to tie itself in knots.

Carver was already there, staring at the newcomers whilst all the other members of the community stood there, all expressing different emotions on their faces. Some were scared, others were angered, and some were just expressionless, but still seeming as if they wanted to run away from there as fast as possible. Everyone was awkwardly standing still, no one seem to dare to move a muscle, as if doing so would start a war, not to mention the tension in the room was suffocating. It was surreal. With a smirk, the leader stood there as Lee and the others catched up with the other people, Lee trying to make his way through them and glancing over at the wall, unable to stop shock from registering on his face when something caught his eyes.

" _Oh, shit."_

Standing with his face to the wall, hands tied behind his back, was the father that was taken away from the restaurant last night. He couldn't see all the people in the room, awaiting for what punishment would befall him, due to the thick blindfold that was wrapped tightly around his head. Whilst staring at this, Lee could finally piece the information together and understand why the children weren't allowed to come to this summons.

This was an execution.

Another man, way shorter than Lee yet heavier built, with tanned skin and messy black hair that rested in front of big cold eyes, stood out of the crowd, interrupting the awkward silence, a look of disgust on his face as he addressed Carver. "Bill, is this necessary? We all saw what happened the other night-"

"We have to have rules, Nathaniel!" Carver scolded, adopting a cold glare as he then added. "If you don't pipe down, you might find yourself joining him."

The threat silenced the protesting survivor, but it was a hand on his shoulder, the hand belonging to Beth, that caused him to finally back down, moving back into the crowd as she softly calmed him. "Nathan, please."

Lee could only stand there as Nathan's resolve vanished, his face grim whilst he just stood there, staring at Carver as the leader turned to address the bound man facing the wall, his voice loud so that both the awaiting victim and the crowd could hear him. "You have been seen killing another of your fellow survivors. Under our law, the punishment is death. What are your last words?"

Jason could only groan in response, Lee squinting at his face and reeling back in disgust as his gaze finally saw what was wrong. The poor man's face was bruised and bloody, with sweat and blood dried on his shirt, breathing heavily with trembling legs, and he could only imagine the agony he was in, as well as he couldn't help but wonder if the man already knew about his daughter and his wife, something that would make the situation even worse as he would go knowing his children had nothing but each other left, and that only if Connie actually survived.

Christa seemed disgusted with the whole ordeal, wanting to speak up, to stop the injustice that was happening, but when she saw the backlash Nathan received, she was not willing to put herself nor anyone she cared for, and specially her baby, in danger for someone she didn't know, regardless of whether the execution was right.

"This can't be happening…" He heard Omid whispering, with an expression of disgust and shock on his face.

Glancing around, Lee could see that everyone was just as uncomfortable with the awaiting moment, only able to watch the guards selected for the duty stepping forward. Tess, Dwight and the same guard that was by Carver's side back at the restaurant the night before, all staring down at the condemned man with various expressions.

Dwight, seeming like he didn't want to be there, especially since he was pulling the trigger, turned to Carver and muttered quietly. "Is this what needs to be done, Bill? I mean, the man's suffered already. He lost his wife last night, and his daughter is in intensive car-"

"It's not your job to worry about people. Your job is to follow orders to make sure rules are kept and the people of this community are safe, that's it. Get ready to aim, Dwight, unless you or Kristina wish to join him."

With an apologetic frown, Dwight obeyed, returning to his position and lifted his rifle, followed by Tess and the other guard, Tess expressionless as she aimed down her sights. The room was silent. The air was thick with apprehension, and Lee noticed Christa holding Omid's hand tightly, the couple watching with dismayed faces.

Jason, regained his composure quickly, trying to stand as still and straight as possible, as he refused to let Carver humiliate him and Lee appreciated his bravery. He turned to the leader.

"Y...You'll regret all of this someday, Bill." He spat, nothing but pure hatred on his voice **.** Holding his breath, he couldn't believe what was happening when Carver smirked as the man's words meant nothing to him, he walked to the man, placing a cloth over his mouth and chin, tying it behind his head, making sure his jaw was shut tight. Finally, he gestured with his hand moving downwards, giving the guards sanction to shoot, Jason closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

Then the sound of gunfire rang through the air.

Some of the crowd jumped at the loud noise, obviously frightened by the incident, whilst other just looked away with their eyes closed. Lee felt his chest tighten, his breath leaving him as a silent gasp came from him. Seeing the man lying there, the blood pooling from his punctured body and forming a puddle under the corpse, he never even let out any noise when he was shot down.

He heard Carver ask Tess. "You didn't aim for his head, did you?"

"I'm not a novice at this, alright? I know what I'm doing." She shot back, unsympathetic at the fact she just murdered someone. Glaring at both of them, Lee was feeling the rage grow in his stomach, the flame bursting out when he returned his gaze to the corpse. Thomas had to be told about this, probably pretty soon, and he didn't know how the child would take something like this, it all had happened so fast, even Lee himself had a hard time processing it.

Carver's voice boomed through the room, drawing Lee from his thoughts as he listened. "Let it be known that this is what happens when you break the rules. They're here for a reason, and if any of you feel lucky, you'll end up like this fellow. Despite that, take solace in knowing that we all have to work together to survive, and we will survive. Someone who can't is detrimental to us all. Now, with that said, it's time for all of you to start your duties."

The people seemed unsure with his reasoning, but they had to follow what he said in fear of being the next condemned survivor. However, the guards were already working to moving the body, a bag tied tightly around the head for a safety measure, or so Lee thought, watching them drag the corpse away quickly before it would reanimate, he couldn't help but wonder why they took so much precaution and didn't just shot him in the head, not that he really wanted to find out. Other guards were guiding the people out of the loading bay, some offering a sympathetic shoulder as one young woman couldn't control herself anymore and burst into tears, one of them staying by her side and trying to calm her down as the other survivors left the room.

Luke appeared by Lee and the gang's side, appearing somewhat pale from having witnessed what had just happened, yet held onto his resolve as he quietly ordered them. "We better go, now."

"Luke, what the actual fuck was that?!" Nick snapped, unable to glance at the blood splatter that dripped down the wall.

"It's what it is, Nick. The way I see it, it's best if we just keep our heads down, obey and not draw attention to ourselves, or we all could end up like that guy." Luke whispered, frowning at Nick and Lee's angered expressions. "What? You saying we should go out guns a-blazing and then be put down? 'cause I ain't for that option!"

"You don't even sound upset about what just happened! Luke, a man was just murdered for something that wasn't his _fault!_ " Lee felt his rage bubbling just below the surface. He could feel Christa place a hand on him, turning his head to see her eyeing up the guards that were just staring at them, emotionless, and he finally backed down. Luke seemed annoyed by the accusation, but with a deep sigh his face feel to a saddened expression and he gestured to the doors, ordering the group to exit the loading bay.

"This shit happens all the time, get used to it, and don't label me an asshole because I can't bring it in me to feel anything." He tried to defend himself, walking in front of Lee as the entire group exited the loading bay, the doors closing behind them as the rest of the community went to do their jobs, the air heavy and the feeling of despair heavy in everyone.

Lee frowned deeply, staring ahead with an unfocused gaze, thinking to himself as the rest of the group talked to Luke, the words falling on deaf ears. This place just got worse and worse, the injustice tugging at him as he thought about what Carver would do to them if they ever stepped out of line. Whatever happened, he and his friends really would need to discuss their plan of action when they returned to the Pen for the night, no more waiting, and Lee couldn't wait until then. Only when Luke began addressing him did Lee finally pay attention.

"Lee, you got horses this morning with Ellie and Alex, after breakfast, but I want you to go and see Jack first. He wants to give you the all clear before sending you off to work."

"I'd rather have something to eat before doing anything. I'm starvin'." Lee pointed out, his stomach growling out to just prove the point.

Luke scratched his stubble, followed by an annoyed sigh, he firmly replied. "Food will be taken down for the patients, Jack probably has yours already there. After you eat, it's straight to work, okay?"

Lee could only comply, and with a silent farewell to his friends, he began to walk to the doctor's workshop, the sound of talking growing quieter and quieter the more distance was put between them. Glancing around, he was unnerved with the lack of people that were just walking around, the sight around him a stark contrast to how Howe's was the day before. People weren't just uncomfortable, they were frightened.

The though on his mind gnawing away at him as he thought about Sarah and Thomas, wondering how she'd handle the truth about this place, or Thomas when he found out that not only did he lose his mother and sister, but his father wasn't returning either. He remembered all the times someone had been killed in front of Clementine, and how much that traumatized the little girl, no matter how hard she'd tried to hide it from everyone, so he was grateful none of the children and at least not even Connie were forced to witness that.

A saddened frown pulled at his lips, and he couldn't bring himself to fix that when he reached the familiar door to Jack's new office. His knuckles rapped against the wood twice, the sound echoing as he waited for the person on the other side to open.

Standing there awkwardly, he just stared at the younger face of Jack as he peeked through the slightly opened door, blood covering his fingers. When he realized who it was standing before him, with a small smile, he opened the door fully and nodded for Lee to enter, his voice sore when he finally spoke. "I was hoping you'd listen to me. Just take a seat over there, I'll be with you in a minute."

Lee obeyed, walking over to a trolley and sat on it, feeling the white cloth draped over it shifting under his weight. With him out of the way, Jack went back to the patient he was working with, and Lee noticed that it was in fact Kristina. She looked worse than she did last night, just after being stabbed, with her face pale and tired as well as her hair falling messily in front of her eyes, flashing a glance full of agony to Lee before closing them again. He swallowed hard, feeling a pang of sympathy growing in his stomach. The incident replayed itself in his mind over and over, the face of Joel and Kristina when the knife embedded itself into their flesh, the blood making him sick to the stomach.

Her thigh was bandaged, albeit with some blood staining through the white fabric, the limb propped on some cushions that looked like they belonged on a couch rather than a doctor's gurney. Jack placed his hand on her forehead, pressing a thermometer to her lips before turning his attention back to Lee, walking away from her as he explained. "It's been non stop this morning, with both Joel and Kristina needing care, and then the Connie girl that was brought in from the Pen. What's worse is that a scouting group have returned this morning, and they brought injured people."

"It sounds like you haven't slept in days," he replied, concern on his face as he added. "You gonna be alright, man?"

"I haven't been able to sleep properly since Carlos left. I'm the only certified doctor in this entire community, and people are flocking here every day with injuries and pregnancies and… and…" Jack paused, his face showing clearly the exhaustion he must have been feeling.

"Well, if you got other things to do, I can go. I mean, I'm feeling fine." Lee offered, unwilling to waste Jack's time when he had other patients to see to, the other bodies on the multiple trolleys and gurneys catching his attention.

Jack shook his head, raising his hand slightly as he adamantly protested. "No. I give you the all-clear, and you end up passing out or worse, and Bill will have me out on the Wall for sure. Besides, it's a simple check-up and then you're free to go."

Keeping still, he just watched as the doctor removed the bandages that were still around his head, throwing them a wastebin that had other bandages in. Glancing at it, Lee just raised an eyebrow and, noticing it, Jack continued examining the wounds on the back of his head, as well as his face, explaining to him. "We keep used bandages for burning. Bill doesn't want to waste nothing."

That made sense. Silently agreeing, he winced as Jack moved to his nose, the jabs of burning pain shooting whilst the doctor messed with it. Nodding to himself, he moved away from Lee and lifted up his hand, removing the bandages to reveal a jagged wound on his palm. Disposing of those bandages, Jack seemed content with Lee's health state, and simply spoke. "You seem to have made a nice recovery, but your nose will be crooked on healing. That might take two to three weeks. If you feel unwell or your bouts of dizziness come back, come back and I'll examine you again."

"Sure thing, doc." Lee nodded, noticing the door opening and frowned. Whilst Jack turned to see who it was, Dwight appeared from behind the door, his face wracked with worry as he searched the room. Spotting Kristina, he quickly moved to her side, his hand intertwining with hers as she whispered to him, his face saddened whilst he listened intently.

"Dwight," Jack called out, waiting for the couple to finish whispering and for the man in question to turn around. "I was gonna go and find you. Kristina's wound wasn't as life-threatening as I thought it would be. The blade missed her deep femoral artery, though I recommend that she remains here for the rest of the week so that I can keep observations on her."

"So, she'll live?" Dwight asked, still holding her hand tightly.

"Yes. She is very lucky. I gave her painkillers just to help with the pain, you know, but she'll be out of it for a while." Jack confirmed, smiling softly as he patted Dwight's shoulder. "You should get to your post. Bill doesn't like people slacking off."

Dwight was silent, appearing thoughtful as he stared down at the sleepy Kristina, before he turned to Lee. The two shared a glance, the look of misery and guilt wracking at every muscle in the guard's face. Lee himself couldn't get the picture of the execution out of his mind. Dwight was there, and at being ordered to by Carver, he shot an innocent man down. He objected, he tried to get Carver to see reason, but there was nothing anyone could have done. Quietly, almost so much that Lee nearly missed the words, he heard Dwight mutter. "I can't believe I had to do that."

"It was a crazy situation. No one there had a choice in the matter." Lee tried to console.

Dwight didn't seem to accept that, his grip on Kristina's hand tightening. "I should have done something. Made my point clearer, stood my ground, I don't know. But something had to be better than letting that happen…"

"If you had done anything, it would have been you on that wall. Would Kristina want you to throw you life like that?"

"You don't know her like I do," he growled, appearing offended by that. "The shit we've been through. Nothing can tear us apart."

"Except Carver." Lee pressed, watching the realisation to the truth in his words wash over Dwight, continuing when he didn't respond. "This shit is only gonna get worse with him here. This place is bad news, for your people and mine."

"So, what are you suggesting? We just pack our stuff and waltz out the door?!" he shot back, looking over his shoulder at Lee again.

Silent, he waited a few moments to think of a response, something that wouldn't cause Dwight to go running to Carver. Yet, when he saw the hate and the disgust for what he made Dwight do, he felt like he could disclose something and the last thing he would want to do was let that snake they called their leader. "I'm just saying that I'm not waiting around for my people to get hurt. The question is, if we had a plan, would you be in?"

"No, no, Kristina needs this place. She needs a doctor and here is the only place that has one for miles. How could I do that, just drag her away from this?" he rejected, pausing as Kristina just laid there, her breathing faint and almost non-existent. Lee watched him, his gaze cool whilst he noticed Dwight's shoulder slump, his whole body shaking as a shaky intake of breath could be heard, pinching the bridge of his nose. After a long pause, sympathy grew when he heard Dwight tearfully reply. "I just want her to be safe. I… I don't know what to _do._ "

"You do what you think is right, man. If you change your mind, find me out after tonight, and we'll talk then." Lee explained, standing up and moving towards him. Dwight didn't respond to his hand on his shoulder, instead just leaning his forehead against Kristina's, and so Lee left them alone.

Turning to Jack, Lee was silent when the doctor muttered. "This talk. I didn't hear none of it, patient-doctor confidentiality. All I ask is you don't get me involved."

"Sure thing." He accepted, nodding to Jack before making his way over to the door. Pausing, he glanced back at the patients lying on the beds, the silence of the room setting his nerves on edge, and finally he left the room with the door slowly closing shut. Alone in the hallway. Releasing the breath he didn't realise he was holding, Lee leaned against the wall and pondered over the repercussions for what he just discussed. Jack seemed honest enough not to snitch on him, but he still had his doubts. Only a fool completely trusted another person. Nevertheless, he knew that eventually, he would have to escape this place with his friends, to protect them of the same fate as the condemned survivor.


	23. The Beginning

Luke found Lee as soon as he left Jack's office, taking one of the small containers he carried in a backpack, handing it to him, inside it there were bread and some more eggs, the guard apologized for taking so long, adding that after what happened in the Loading Bay, most of the staff had to be debriefed by Bill. Whilst Lee ate it as quickly as possible, not realising how hungry he was, he listened as his companion explained to him. "Ellie's been bothering people for some help with the horses, especially after we brought a stallion we found at an abandoned ranch in. Fucker's a really moody one."

"How many animals do we even have here?" Lee asked, his mouth full of eggs and bits of bread, staring at his plate as he devoured the food.

"Dunno. I know we have about five horses, some mares, the stallion and a foal that was with one of the mares." He shrugged, holding his rifle lazily in his hands. "Anyway, you're gonna be the one who's helping her today."

"I don't know the first thing about horses." Lee confessed, recalling having the same conversation with Nick and Pete after they discovered two horses down the highway. "I don't know what use I'll be."

"Don't worry, It's not that hard. Ellie's been working with animals ever since she was a kid, she and Alex will give you the basics. Now, best show you where it is before Bill catches you just standing around." Luke ordered, taking the container off him before gesturing for Lee to follow after him.

Nodding, he followed after the guard silently, thinking about something in hopes it would distract him from the shit that happened so far. Connie, Jason, and after remembering the conversation with Pete, all her could recall was the sight of the bullet going through the older man's brain, the sickening sound his body made when it connected with the floor below. He didn't know Pete very long, but he was a good and honest man. He would be missed, surely.

Some of the survivors passed the duo when they reached the entrance of the Pen, Joel standing there with a bored expression on his face whilst another guard accompanied him, the other survivors sparing a single look at Lee before they made their way upstairs. Turning his attention to Joel, he paused and asked loudly. "How you doin', Joel?"

"Alright. Bit sore and tired, but I could have been worse." He smiled, moving up to Lee as his face suddenly feel, his voice quiet as he whispered. "You seen Kristina?"

"Yeah, I was in Jack's office for a checkup." Lee confirmed.

Joel rubbed his stomach, ghosting over the wound that Kieran gave him the other night, before he just sighed. "I hope she makes it. She was doped out of her fucking eyeballs when I was there, to help with the pain. Honestly, she's a tough girl that one, Dwight knows how to pick them. I kno-"

"I gotta take Lee to the paddock, Joel, so if you're done gossiping?" Luke interjected rudely, showing no patience for the guard. "Here, make yourself useful and give this to Jack." He said, handing him his backpack.

Joel backed off unwillingly at the interruption, more afraid of Carver finding out he's been slacking off his duties than Luke himself, he grabbed it and just watched as Lee was forced to continue walking, as he made his way to the doctor's office. Whilst they were walking away, a smirk played on Lee's lips as he heard Joel mutter viciously. " _Asshole_."

If Lee had heard it easily, so could have Luke, and yet he didn't give any reaction to it. Instead, he continued to walk up the hallway. Glancing around, he noticed a fountain with small stalls that had been abandoned, all the wares that were once they're taken by Carver when he most probably moved in, and the water in the fountain stagnant and green. He wondered how long their water supplies will last, even with the large amount of water kept in Howe's. He knew only too well how quickly supplies can go when you have hungry and thirsty mouths, everyone had seen it last night with Kieran. That was one of the reasons he'd stolen from the car long time ago in first place, they had all been starving, and his sense of morality was skewered because of it.

Regardless, he was distracted by Luke stopping, staring at a fire exit for a second, before turning to Lee and stated. "This leads to the paddock outside. Ellie will already be out there with the livestock. See ya later, Lee."

Then he was gone. Lee just stood there, a deep frown set on his face, and then he just shook his head dejectedly, already feeling tired of it all. Nevertheless, he opened the door and peered outside, feeling the cold winds hit him full force already. It bit into his face, and he shivered as he fully entered the paddock. The wind already closed the door behind him. Looking around, he was surprised to find actual grass instead of the hard feeling of concrete under his shoes, glancing up the tall walls that kept the dead out, and the livestock in, before the sound of animals drew him further in. The paddock itself wasn't huge, but it was fairly big, giving enough space for the small herd of horses he saw trotting through the field.

The one at the front, which he had to guess was the stallion, paused and stared at the newcomer, large eyes boring into him before the animal moved on with its herd. Ellie was walking far behind them, the foal running around her and attempting to initiate play, its tail held over its back, before it nibbled on her coat. Noticing this, she bobbed it on the nose, and just watched as the horse appeared dumbfounded, unsure on what just happened. It wasn't before long that the foal just moved on, and ran awkwardly back to its mother.

Spotting Lee, Ellie smiled softly and waved to herself, gesturing him to come over with a loud. "Over here!"

Walking over to her, he kept an eye on the stallion, though he noticed that it was paying more attention to its harem of mares rather than him, and he was thankful for that. He may not have known much about horses, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with an enraged testosterone-filled male people called moody. Reaching her side, he watched the foal and mother nuzzle affectionately, a smile on his face as he asked her. "Luke said that you needed help, you gonna fill me in on the details?"

"Well, Luke's an idiot, he keeps thinking I know a lot about this. All I learned came from Beth, she's the one who actually grew up on a ranch. I just mess about with the chickens." Ellie joked, standing there with arms crossed when she added. "You just gotta be careful around them, and don't let Caleb push you around. Otherwise, that's gonna lead straight up to biting and kicking."

"Ouch. How bad's being kicked?" Lee asked, warily watching the stallion eyeing the pair up from the distance.

He heard Ellie laugh, turning to see her smiling widely. "Trust me, it's bad. You get a broken rib from that and you're down for the count, and if you can't even recover from that, Bill might just shoot you in the head and be done with it."

Lee didn't laugh at that, his face serious as he recalled the execution that morning, and he could see it dawn on Ellie as well, her smile quickly disappearing as she gasped, realizing what she'd just said, she mumbled. "F-Fuck. That was way too soon, wasn't it? Sorry."

It's not like that was new to him, he could recall all the times Kenny or even himself said something inappropriate in the worst possible moment, and looking at Ellie's ashamed face, he thought she looked like a little kid that had just been scolded. He sighed. "Just be more considering on what you say. What happened doesn't affect me much, but you never know how others could react, specially Carver." he suggested, smiling gently at the teen, who flinched at the mention of the leader.

The girl nodded, and after a few awkward silent seconds, he tried to lighten the mood, asking. "You wanna show me around? I've never seen so many animals in one place."

"You came at the right time! Lil' Jeb is starting to get playful with Alex when I had to see the horses. Come on, I'll show you." She replied, waving her hand for Lee to follow her down the paddock. The cold winds caused him to rubs his arms, shivering in a desperate attempt to rid himself of the cold, and yet all Ellie did was tighten the scarf around her neck, the end flowing in the rough wind. Due to the size of the paddock, it wasn't long before Lee spotted two fully grown cows, the large bull standing out with his impressive horns and brown coat, while Spots was the female black and white cow, the two grazing contently whilst a boy was checking out the calf; Jeb.

The bull was the first to acknowledge them, keeping a close eye on the newcomer as his ears moved forward, a deep snort coming from the giant beast, and Lee felt a hand holding tight on his jacket sleeve. Glancing down, he saw Ellie appearing serious, staring at the bull as they both walked and spoke in a warning tone. "Keep your distance with Bullseye. He's not the friendliest of the cattle, and you wouldn't wanna be at the receiving end of those horns."

"Are there any animals here that don't want to attack me!?" he asked humorously and getting a laugh out of both teenagers, watching Bullseye calming down when the duo moved further away from him. Turning to the noises coming from the calf, Lee noticed just how similar Alex and Ellie looked. Their faces were youthful yet tired, both sporting light brown hair, and whilst Ellie had hers shaved, Alex styled it straight and slicked back, some bits sticking out wildly. Unlike his sibling however, he didn't wear a scarf, instead electing to wear gloves that Jeb seemed to enjoy attempting to remove, the calf moving on to sucking on his grey hoodie.

Glancing up, hazel eyes lit up when he saw Ellie, a grin on his face as he pointed out. "Jeb's finally starting to trust me, now, and Spots, I can finally health check him without her attempting to run me over!"

"She and Bullseye have moved up the field, chewing away on the grass. I wonder if Caleb will start getting smart with them?" Ellie mused, glancing over her shoulder at the retreating pair and the herd of horses watching them from a distance.

"Doubt it. Would you wanna go against an angry Bullseye?" Alex joked, removing Jeb from his hoodie and lifting his head up, his fingers gently moving the calf's eyelids to check his eyes. Seeing nothing wrong, he removed his fingers and stroked the calf affectionately, the baby animal shaking his head before running over to his mother, demanding to suckle with a high-pitched "menh".

Watching him, he heard Alex ask his sister. "We ready to start weaning him soon?"

"He's around three months old, now. Beth gave me a list on what to do, and suggested that we leave it for another few months. Best if we get winter out of the way." She explained, quickly adding with a concerned tone. "You find anything on him?"

"Nothing. Jeb's pretty healthy considering. I wouldn't say no to a vet, though." He muttered, appearing tired and concerned when Lee turned back to them. With the calf and parents happily roaming, and the stallion proving no threat with Bullseye around, Ellie moved to a large makeshift shelter with both Alex and Lee in tow.

The silence was somewhat awkward, Lee thought, and it seemed that Alex thought so too when he quickly asked the newcomer. "So, you're Lee, right? Ellie told me about your group coming in the other night."

"Yeah." He replied.

"So, what were you doing before all this?" he suddenly asked, appearing genuinely curious about him. With an eyebrow raised, Lee seemed unwilling but decided, considering it was only Alex, that he could give some information, and besides, the boy didn't seem like a bad person. "I was a history professor for a university down south. Atlanta. What about you? You only look about, what, eighteen, nineteen?"

"Close. I turned twenty two months ago." Alex revealed, scratching the back of his head when he indulged further. "I was in college studying Psychology, but I didn't get far when all the dead started popping up everywhere."

"Psychology? I woulda put you down for agriculture or something." Lee admitted, feeling somewhat guilty for presuming something about Alex due to what he was doing in Howe's. Many people had different lives before the plague, including him, in fact he wondered if people were surprised to find out he was a high-paid professor.

The assumption didn't affect Alex in any way however, as he just grinned sheepishly and mumbled. "Well, join in line with my dad, then. He wanted me to go down that route so that I could work with the farm animals, maybe own a farm that he could retire to one day. Honestly, he was the only one who cared what I did, my mom couldn't have gave two shits."

"I take it you don't have a good relationship with her?"

"Alex." Ellie warned, before her brother could reply, her voice low yet stern, finally turning around and staring hard at the duo. "No offense, Lee, but I'd rather not have him talk about our past with someone we just met. It's… best to keep it there."

"We'll be living in the community from now on, Ellie. I wasn't gonna give him my whole life story." Alex grumbled, pausing in front of the shelter and grabbed the wheelbarrow that was left beside it, watching Ellie grab two shovels and tossing one to Lee. Grabbing it, he stared at it in his hand, and then glanced back up at the siblings, seeing that they were amused by his bewildered expression over being passed it.

After a few moments, he warily warned. "A shovel's never not useful, but can I ask why you're giving me this? I doubt we'll be whacking walkers with it."

"Congrats, you're on shoveling shit duty. We gotta keep this place clean to reduce disease from spreading, and the livestock don't fancy munching on grass covered in their own shit." Alex joked, pushing the wheelbarrow away from the shelter.

Ellie followed after him, her own shovel in hand, and she decided to join in on the conversation. "Besides, Beth asked if we could give the shit to her. Something about fertilizer for the crops."

"Glad to know what goes on my food." Lee murmured, recoiling in disgust thinking about what Beth and Frank are doing to the stuff that goes on the community's plates later on. Regardless, he turned his attention to his job for the day, following after Ellie as she began to shovel the poop into the wheelbarrow, her nose crinkling in disgust, and her sleeve moved to her nose for a moment before she carried on. Watching her, Lee copied her, shoveling some more and dumping it in the wheelbarrow whilst Alex just stood there, leaning against the wheelbarrow with a bored expression on his face. Ellie didn't spare him a glance, and yet she could still see what he looked like as she continued to work.

With an annoyed tone in her voice, she suggested to her brother. "Remind me again, why you're always on the wheelbarrow and I'm stuck shoveling shit."

"You know that incident with Emily? This is payback."

"That was two years ago! I didn't mean for your girlfriend to end up bruised from my rooster, I just thought she'd want to see him. Anyway, I told her not to get too close!" Ellie defended, pausing in her task to shoot a glare at her snickering brother. Lee couldn't help but roll his eyes in amusement, trying to ignore their arguments and instead focusing on his job, when he heard Ellie begin to address him instead. "You had any pets before this, Lee?"

"I, erm, I had a pet fish on my desk where I used to work. My students called him Professor Bubbles." He admitted, smiling when he remembered how excited his students were when he brought the fish in for the first time. Grading tests all day, and teaching, was stressful, so it was nice to have something pretty to look at. Thinking about it, he recalled the students all picking different species for him to get, and in the end he just settled on a betta fish.

"Fish are cool to look at. Chickens were what we had, though I begged dad to get me a cat." Alex confided, smirking at the memory. "He did, got me this adorable black kitten, and it ended up eating two of his oldest chickens. He wasn't very happy with me after that. I named him 'Coal'."

"What happened to him?" Lee asked, unable to recall seeing a cat roaming around the community lot, and he heavily doubted Bill allowing something like this.

Alex's face saddened, and he muttered with an upset tone. "He ran off a few days after this all began. I haven't seen him since."

"One day, I'll find another one for you. Don't worry, Alex." Ellie promised, her face bright when she saw Alex brighten up. The deep bond between them warmed Lee's heart, and he couldn't help but feel an amicable relationship with the duo, pushing away the thoughts that they could easily die tomorrow or next week, just like all his friends had before him. With Bill in charge, he didn't have only the dead roaming outside those walls to worry about. It could easily be anyone next, someone that pissed the tyrant off, and Lee would have to deal with more of his friends dying without him being able to do a damn thing about it.

"Careful," he heard Alex warn. "Caleb is starting to get a bit too close."

Looking up, Lee felt nervous clawing at him when his eyes fell on the large stallion making its way back to the trio, the mares and foal instead electing to remain at a distance and graze happily. He stopped his work, holding the shovel almost defensively and slowly backing up a few steps. Bullseye and Spots returned to the shelter, the mother lying down with the foal falling asleep, and the bull stood guard as he grazed. Straightening himself, he watched as Caleb paused, his head and tail raised high with his ears pressed tightly to his head and neck, his body stiff and facing directly at the survivors. With the stallion acting aggressively to them, they would immediately find that doing their work was impossible with the danger of being nipped, or worse kicked. As he went back to shovelling, keeping an eye on the approaching horse, he heard Alex offer to Ellie. "You want me to make sure he doesn't get too close while you guys work?"

"If you wanna try, but just be really careful. Caleb is new here." She warned, watching as he left the wheelbarrow by her and Lee, before moving between them and Caleb to ensure the stallion doesn't come any closer. The beast seemed confused, or perhaps affronted, and it just watched Alex whilst Lee and Ellie carried on with their work. Shovelling more of the manure, he glanced up every now and again to keep an eye on the stallion and Alex, moving across the field when the other horses became curious, the mare with her foal moving towards the duo whilst the stallion was preoccupied by the third survivor.

Ellie paused, her voice uncertain as she muttered to Lee. "Keep an eye out on Beauty, her trust for us is thin when her foal is around."

"Will do." He stood up straight when the foal made a beeline for him, making small noises as it attempted to initiate play with him. Unsure what to do, he just pet the foal's head, watching as Beauty watched, keeping her sights straight on Lee. With the shovel, he carried on shovelling whilst the foal went on to find something to amuse himself with, his mother following after him whilst the other mares checked Lee out. The largest one, with brown splotches all over her body, was the first to come near him, her ears pointed towards him with large eyes watching his movements.

Lee just carried on with his work, feeling her sniffing his jacket, before trotting off to join the mother and foal, the rest of the horses following after her. After that, he heard Alex calling back to him. "Aw, you seem like a natural with them. You wanna take Caleb o-?"

In matter of seconds, a loud hoarse whinny came from the stallion, who had turned around whilst Alex was distracted, and delivered a powerful kick to his chest, sending the young man flying, and Lee could swear he heard a crack, which made him wince in pain as the boy landed painfully on the ground. With the threat gone, Caleb galloped away and joined the rest of his herd.

Ellie's face went pale, and her voice pained as she yelled out desperately. "Alex!"

Lee was already running, having abandoned his shovel and rushed to Alex's side, glancing down to see the younger man lying there, his face pained yet trying his best to play it off. When Ellie reached his side, unsure on what to do, he tried to calm her down by coughing. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I guess we're not gonna be friends for now, are we?"

Alex tried to stand up, supporting his weight on his elbows, only to fall back down again, the boy let out a scream in the process, and Lee couldn't even imagine the pain he was in, his face pale and looking as he was about to pass out.

"Lee, I need you to get Jack, _now_!" Ellie ordered, staring at Lee as he just nodded, standing up on his feet and running across the paddock. He could feel adrenaline running through him, unsure the exact danger that Alex was in, but could guess that it was bad. It happened so quickly, he never would have guessed that Caleb would turn and kick him that fast, and he wondered what he could do to help whilst wrenching the door open. The rush of warmth hit him from being outside in the freezing cold, but he didn't waste any time appreciating the feeling of his body thawing out.

Skidding across the floor, he saw Jack walking back into his office, and yelled loudly at him, feeling the urgency in his words. "Jack!"

The doctor paused, pushing his glasses up as he saw Lee run straight for him, his face concerned with the panic that must have been showing on Lee's face. Trying to catch his breath, he couldn't think straight as he tried to explain. "Alex's been kicked by one of the horses, and he needs your help now!"

"Oh shit," He muttered, quickly going into his office and grabbing the first gurney he saw. Glancing at the door, he placed his hand on Lee's shoulder, moving past him as he ordered. "Stay here with the patients until we get back!"

He obeyed, walking into the medic room whilst Jack ran off to aid Alex and Ellie, leaving the door behind him half open for them, as he tried to recover his breath, his adrenaline rush starting to wear off. Kristina was still there, sleeping peacefully with her chest gently rising and falling. Passing by, he turned and saw other patients lying there, some adults with injuries from their jobs, whilst one was a younger girl, looking around Sarah's age. Her hair was tied back loosely in a ponytail, with some hanging in front of her pained face, and he saw her gripping her wooly sweater in an attempt to help with whatever pain she was feeling.

Glancing up, she saw him and immediately stiffened, her voice hostile as she accused him. "What are you doing here? You're not Jack."

"No, I'm not. I'm Lee." He explained, allowing the tone for once considering her age and the fact she was injured.

Staring at him, she was silent for a few moments, before quietly replying. "Riley. You're new here, aren't you?"

"Got here a few nights ago." He revealed, watching as she rubbed her abdomen. He recalled Beth talking about a girl named Riley yesterday, after revealing about the tests that the children in Howe's had to go through, and he realised that she must have been rubbing the wound she got after being forced outside of the walls to fight for survival. Suddenly, sympathy took over his panic and anger, looking at this child that was trying so hard to be the adult her community is forcing her to be, and rage was all he could feel at Carver for forcing them on her. Thinking about Sarah, he wondered if she would have ended up like Riley if Carlos and the group stayed rather than escape, or if she would have ended up dead like so many others.

Whilst he was thinking, he heard her ask him. "Sarah was with you guys, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, I think she should be upstairs in the school right now." He pointed out, watching as her face fell at the mention of the school.

"No, no, no, she can't be there! When she was here with her dad, he made Carver promise that she was spared in return for his medical services to the community." she explained, appearing distraught at the thought of Sarah going through what she had to. "Lee, you don't understand. If Sarah finishes the school, she will be forced out of the community as a test. She could _die_!"

Lee didn't want to panic again, not when the situation called for a clear head, but the thought of Sarah's life being in danger sent his brain into overboard, his heart clenching at the thought of losing someone he promised to protect again. Sitting down on the desk, he just stared at the floor and sighed. She asked. "You already know about the tests, don't you?"

"Beth told me." He admitted, glancing over at the door as he added. "I'm gonna make sure Sarah's safe, Riley."

"How? Short of killing Bill and taking over, you don't have much say in the matter." She pointed out, nervously fiddling with the bottom of her sweater, her leg bouncing.

He was unsure whether he should tell her the plan, he decided against it for the moment, knowing that too many people knowing would increase the risk of someone blabbing and Carver finding out. However, he felt that he should reassure her, just to keep her from full-blown panicking over Sarah, and so he just smiled softly. "You just gotta trust me."

"I don't even know you. How can I be sure if you'll protect her, now that her dad is gone?"she pressed, frowning when Lee visibly winced at the mention of Carlos' name. "I know. Loads of people do, and yet Sarah is oblivious. Why doesn't she know?"

"It's complicated. She isn't ready to handle the truth about her dad yet." Lee tried to explain, watching Riley become more and more angry with his excuses. Yet, she didn't say anything, nor did she threaten him with the thought of her running off to tell Sarah about her father's death. Instead, Riley just turned away from Lee, her voice cold when she finally muttered. "I'm not gonna blab to her, but you need to let her know someday. It's not fair on her."

"I know." With that said, the door swung fully open again with Jack and Ellie pushing a gurney in, Alex lying on it as he winced in pain, looking even worse than before. Riley fell silent when the trio entered, both jumping back in surprise. Lee watched with worry as Alex was pushed into an emptier part of the room, Jack moving to grab the stethoscope from on top of his desk. Returning to his patient, he turned his head to Lee and said him. "I work better without an audience."

"Alright." He nodded, seeing Ellie remaining quiet as she held Alex's hand, her face grim whilst Jack pressed the cold stethoscope against Alex's bare chest. Leaving them alone, Riley hesitated for a moment, but finally went after him and also left the room as she closed the door behind her to give Jack some privacy to work.

"I didn't know Alex was that bad. This is why I prefer not to work with animals, you never know when they wanna kick your ass." She sighed, crossing her arms as she added. "I'm gonna go up to Carver and give in my scoutings. Go and find something else to do, maybe someone has something for you?"

"Will do. See ya, Riley." He agreed, giving his farewells before he moved off on his own, spotting Riley jogging up the stairs to make her own way to Carver's office. Deciding to go and see if anyone on the floor above would need his help, or if he could find his friends, he elected to move towards the staircase as well, jogging up them two steps at a time. Reaching the top, he looked around, wondering what to do next.

Spotting the toy store that he saw the couple stand in front of yesterday, he wondered if Sarah would like something from there, or a toy for Christa when her baby eventually came. Settling on that, he walked briskly over to the store and peered inside, seeing little toys left. A small elephant was lying on the floor, most likely having fallen on the floor when scavengers ransacked the place, or when Carver's people first came here. Picking it up, he smiled at its size, it being no bigger than his palm. Sarah seemed a bit too old for this, and so he shoved it in his back pocket to give to Christa later on when he returned to the Pen. Moving further in, he passed the counter, the register sitting there opened, no money left in the drawer that popped out. Glancing at it, he muttered to himself. "Figures."

Moving to the rack beside the register, he noticed a small keychain sitting on a hook, the last of them with nothing else hanging from the rack. Picking it up, he took a closer look at it. It was a light brown rabbit, the fur soft to the touch, and little beads embedded into its head to serve as eyes. It was quite adorable, in his opinion, and although she didn't have keys, Sarah would appreciate something soft to hold. Unclipping it, he shoved it into his leather jacket pocket, before nearly jumping when he heard a feminine voice. "Find anything good?"

Spinning around, his heart calmed when he saw only Alicia, a gentle smile on her face as she stood at the entrance into the shop. Pulling the keychain out, he held it up for her to see with a sheepish admission. "I took this, you know, for Sarah."

"It's adorable. I'm sure she'll love it." Alicia cooed, taking the keychain and stroking the soft fur with her slender fingers. Admiring it, she then passed it back to Lee, who shoved it back into his pocket with a grateful smile. Glancing around, she crossed her arms and mused. "I thought you would be downstairs. Aren't you with Ellie today?"

"I was. Alex got kicked by one of the horses, though, and he was rushed to Jack. He didn't look good." Lee revealed, watching as Alicia began chewing on the end of her thumb.

"Fuck…" she muttered, turning her back on Lee as she added. "First, we lost Mike, then Jason was killed and now we're in danger of losing Alex. I just want one week where someone I care about doesn't die."

"I know this is hard, Alicia, but this is what it's like now. Not everyone is gonna make it. Trust me when I say I know what it's like." Lee comforted, moving to her side as he thought about his group escaping, wondering if she wanted to come with them. Carver was abusive to her, he could see that as plain as day, and he wanted both her and Kate out of that environment. Besides, Alicia wouldn't rat on him if she rejected, she wasn't that kind of person. Taking a leap of faith, he muttered to her. "Alicia, there's something I gotta tell you."

"What is it?" she asked, turning to face him with an inquisitive look on her face.

Pausing, he peered out of the store and looked around to see if there wasn't anyone else nearby, when he was sure of it, he returned to Alicia's side, he took a deep breath and confessed to her. "I'm leaving. This place is no good for me or my people, and if we stay then it's only gonna be a matter of time before Carver kills us as well. I was wondering, are you in on the plan?"

Her face fell, and she looked away, instead focusing on the floor as she thought about what he just told her. Lee could feel the nervousness gnawing at his stomach, pushing it away as she gave her answer. "I know why you want to leave, and if I could be certain it was safe I'd join you, but I have Kate to think about. Can you look me in the eye and, honestly, tell me that no harm can come to her?"

Staring into her brown eyes, he could tell that she was serious about this, and just shook his head. He wanted to encourage her, to promise nothing would happen to her daughter, but both of them already knew the answer. He sighed. "You know I can't promise that."

"Then… no, Lee. I'll stay here with my daughter."

"But, is it really better in here? You can't possibly want to stay with the man that treats you like you're not even a person?" he protested, unsure whether he supported the idea of her remaining. Lee understood why she was, Kate came first before anything else to Alicia, including her own well-being, but he couldn't begin to understand why she would remain in a place that was ran by a man like Carver.

Alicia didn't respond to that. Instead, she waved for him to follow her and began walking over to the window on the other side of the floor, Lee right behind her as he wondered what she was doing. Reaching it, she leaned against the glass and nodded for him to look out. He did so, and his stomach immediately turned when he saw what exactly was outside of those walls. Waves and waves of walkers, all of them tethered to the walls that separated the community inside from the world outside, the dust kicked up by them forming a small cloud that floated around them, sticking out even from a distance.

He could see the gates opening, and some guards entering the compound with the gates creaking shut behind them, two of them were dragging a walker by a rope tied around it's waist, and two more were aiming their guns a it in precaution, as they tried to avoid the other walkers close to them. He examined the walker's face the best he could from up there and he immediately recognized it as Jason. One of the guards dragging him, whom he recognized as Tess quickly tied Jason up to a stake, making sure there was no way he could get loose, and with the same speed she removed the cloth around his jaw. They all were talking amongst each other as they waited a few seconds to confirm he was well tied up, showing no sign of remorse over what they were doing out there, as if it was just another day for their jobs.

As he just stared at the horror, he heard Alicia mutter. "That's not all walkers we found. Some of them were people who once lived here, people I knew. They were good people, frightened by what the world had come to, and Carver left them out there to die when they broke the rules or Carver didn't consider them useful. Luke and the others were lucky the first time, but if you and your people are caught, that's where you'll end up." She frowned. "That's where Alex could end up."

"Jesus, I knew about the Wall but… actually seeing it. Why?" he asked, desperate for an answer. He knew there would be risks and that escaping wouldn't be easy, but he couldn't bear the thought of anyone on his group having the same fate as Jason, but honestly, he was sure they wouldn't end up there regardless at some point. "I don't understand how someone could do this."

"He's a sickening man, and he's only gonna get worse, but people out there are no better." Alicia grumbled, staring as the guards entered the main building. "You know, I was in a group of my own before Carver's people found me. My husband, my daughter and a few friends we met shortly after it all happened. Kate's dad was the first to go, and that was by mercy of the dead. The rest of my friends were slaughtered by bandits, people just like us, and I barely escaped with my daughter. I hate this place, Lee, but after all, we're safe here, it's better than the alternative."

"I understand. You're just looking out for your daughter, I think I would too if I were in your shoes." And he wasn't lying, if he was in her place with Clementine at his care, he would've endured anything just to assure her safety. "We're not leaving tonight, so I hope you change your mind when you've had a think about it." He explained, thinking about it before he quickly added. "Just, keep this to yourself, alright?"

"Of course, you can trust me." She confirmed, smiling softly at him before her walkie talkie crackled to life. Picking it off her belt, she listened as the static voice of what sounded like Beth called in.

"Hey, Alicia?" she started, the radio whining loudly as she continued. "You by any chance have anyone free to help down here? Christa had to sit down after her baby started kicking."

Hearing that, Lee looked up at Alicia and urged her to accept the request, watching as she clicked the button on the side of her walkie talkie and answered into the speaker. "Yeah, Lee's here with me. Alex got kicked by one of the horses and is in intensive care with Jack, so he's free now. You want me to take him down?"

"Oh, yeah, that'll be a life-saver! Thanks Alicia." The radio died after that, leaving Alicia alone with Lee again. Clipping it back onto her belt, she turned to him and began to speak, only to pause when she noticed someone coming towards them. Seeing her gaze, he turned around and spotted Lilly walking towards them, a calm expression on her face as she stared at the two of them.

When she reached them, she turned to Alicia and asked. "Hey, do you mind if I borrow Lee for a second? It's important."

"I was about to take him down to the greenhouse. Beth needs some extra hands after Christa's baby starting kicking." She explained, glancing at Lee and seeing him gesturing for her to leave, before she sighed. "Can you take him down after your talk?"

"Yeah, no problem." Lilly nodded, a soft tone to her voice as she moved her head to gesture to Lee, silently asking him to follow her. He did so, giving one last look to Alicia as she watched the duo move to another store. Lilly paused, opening the door and looking back at Lee, nodding for him to enter after her, before she disappeared into the room. Skeptical, he moved slowly into the room, realising that it had in face been remade into a bedroom. A single bed was shoved into the corner, with a bedside table beside it and a lamp, the duvet slightly dirty but none worse for wear. Sitting on the bed, he frowned at how comfy it was, feeling jealousy ripping at him when he thought about the hard shelves he had to sleep on back at the Pen.

Lilly moved to prop her gun against the wall, turning her head to Lee as she leaned against a small chest of drawers, crossing her arms as she got straight to the point. "I heard what you and Alicia were talking about. You really should be more careful."

"And here I thought we came in here to have a nice chat." He replied sarcastically, his gaze becoming heated when he continued. "So, what now? You gonna tell me how you're gonna run to Carver if I don't do something for you? A lot of people here ain't above blackmail."

"No, I'm not gonna rat on you!" Lilly revealed, trying her best to not raise her voice and crossing her arms as Lee appeared confused, her eyes narrowed when she added. "Do you really think I'm okay with this? I was there at the execution, you know? I saw everything that bastard did and you know what I did? Nothing. I just stood there and watched, and now someone is dead."

Her gaze fell to the floor, and Lee clicked that her anger wasn't directed at him, she was mad at herself. After a moment, he remained silent to allow her to continue. "Now, Alex is hurt, or worse, Carver could send him to the wall, and there's nothing I can do to help him. It's just like back at the meat locker on the farm. I got what Kenny was saying, looking back on it now, but I thought I coulda saved my dad. I tried, you tried, and even Kenny tried. But it was all for nothing. I couldn't save my dad, or the motor inn or our group and now?! Now, I'm stuck in this place that's ran by a psycho!"

She banged a fist against the table, her knuckles white, not caring if anyone else could hear hear now. Still, her voice was a barely audible whisper when she added. "And I can't do _anything_ about it."

Lee could connect with what she was saying, feeling the old guilt resurfacing, the thought that he failed his group, his friends, gnawing at the back of his mind, and knowing that Lilly felt the same helped him start to understand her, something inside him telling him that even after everything that had happened, she wouldn't let him down this time. Quietly, he asked her. "Lilly, I need to know that I can trust you, and what's happened between us is not helping. Give me something so I can trust you."

She paused, unsure on how to do exactly that, before she mustered the most honest stare she could, her voice serious as she promised. "I want to come with you guys. I promise, I will never betray you. You have my word, Lee."

He didn't know whether to take it, and so Lilly added. "I know how you can pull this off, too. If you trust me, I can give you what you need, and I have something you may want."

This caught his interest. For all his talk, he didn't actually sit down and think how a group their size would escape. If Lilly could help them, someone out of the Pen, their chances could increase. He nodded, accepting her help, and in return she smiled genuinely, rummaging into her pocket as she spoke. "Carver gave this to me for my scouting missions, and I recognized it immediately. Have it back."

Grabbing the object from her hand, he looked down and realised that it was his watch, his eyebrows raised in surprise as he just pocketed it, staring up at Lilly with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"I'd get the rest of the day done with. I'll come around the Pen later on tonight, and then we can talk with the group." Lilly explained, watching as Lee stood up. The two exited the room, and he could feel eagerness for night to come already, wanting to talk with Christa and the others about this plan. Hopefully, luck would be on their side.


	24. Nightfall Comes

Night time could not have come any quicker for Lee, his aching bones creaking and, although his stomach was full, it was like it was tightening with every step he took. Working in the greenhouse wasn't the most physically-demanding job there was in Howe's but staying on your feet all day, picking vegetables and carrying buckets heavy with produce. Lilly was leading him back to the Pen, a calculating look on her face as he could only guess at what she was thinking. The most logical answer was that she was trying to figure out their escape plan, or how to get the rest of the group to trust her when to them, she was just a guard that Lee openly despised. Thinking on it, with her trying so hard to right her wrongs, and to help the group escape after seeing the light about Carver, Lee had to give some respect to her, and he could begin to see their relationship repairing.

Reaching the familiar shutter, he could see that Dwight and Joel were on guard duty, confused as to why the latter was still there despite guarding all day. Lilly shared his confusion, voicing it as she asked him. "How come you're still here, Joel?"

"I'm waiting for the next guard to clock in, but I think he's running a bit late." He explained, leaning casually against the wall as his sights shifted to Lee. "You ready to go in, man?"

"Yeah, could use some sleep after today." He agreed, eager to get inside and talk with his friends.

Lilly, looking at him whilst he was speaking, turned back and explained to Joel. "I need to talk to someone in the Pen."

"Who?" he asked, suspicious with this request when he added. "The guards don't normally go in."

"Well, right now I am." She backfired, annoyance clear on her face to force her point to Joel. Thankfully, Lee thought, he was a laid-back person, and not above breaking some laws for others, especially thinking back to when he needed a smoke despite the rules being clear.

Shrugging casually, he turned around to open the shutter, his voice tired as he muttered. "As long as you don't kill or injure anyone, I don't mind breaking a few rules for you, Lil'."

"Thanks, Joel." She smiled, grateful that those two were guarding the Pen tonight and not any of the more stricter guards. With the shutter open, Lee glanced at Dwight and gave a short, sharp nod, receiving one in return, though he appeared confused as to why Lilly was joined in on the plan. Regardless, Lee entered the Pen with Lilly, grimacing at the cold winds that bit at him without the protection of Howe's to help. The rest of the group had already reached the Pen before him, most of the adults crowding around the pitiful campfire whilst Sarah was off reading on her bed, Thomas nowhere to be seen. Unsure, he turned to Lilly about it, and she could see that he was concerned.

"Don't worry. Thomas was taken after the execution and given to one of the other families here to look after him. If-When Connie wakes up, she'll join them as well." She explained, moving towards the fire with him in tow when Sarah noticed the shutter closing again, big, brown eyes behind red glasses poking from above the book and spotting Lee.

With a smile, he watched as she tossed the book onto the bed and hopped off, making a beeline straight for him as he just stood there, Lilly watching as she hugged him with a small, genuine smile on her face. God knows when she actually smiled like that, even when she was with their old group. Hugging Sarah back, he looked down as she glanced up at him, a grin on her face as she asked him. "I was wondering when you'd come back! Why is Lilly here, though?"

"I'm just here to talk to your friends, honey." She explained, turning to Lee as she appeared more serious. "I'll go through the plan with them. Come over when you're ready."

He nodded, watching as Lilly walked off to join the others by the campfire, spotting Christa being the first to acknowledge her and adopting a serious face as they began to discuss matters. A tug on his leather sleeve caught his attention again, glancing down to see Sarah appearing deep in thought, as if indecisive on what she should tell him. Silently, she pulled him over to the bed furthest away from the group. Lee's stomach twisted nervously. He didn't like this, and he was sure that Sarah felt the same way.

When they were far enough away from the group, Sarah paused, slowly turning around with saddened eyes, her voice just a whisper as she mumbled. "I heard about what happened… with Thomas' dad."

 _Oh, shit._

That's why she wanted to talk to him, and why she looked so upset. Empathy washed over him, and he kneeled down as she continued. "I think I understand, now. Why my dad wanted to leave so badly."

"I wanted you to know about the dangers, but, I didn't want you to find out like this." Lee admitted, glancing over his shoulder at the group conversing with each other, worried about the time when they would have to leave. Going out into that world again, he wanted to believe that it was better than staying here, but he also knew better than to kid himself, telling himself that it's safe despite being proven wrong so many times.

Whilst he was staring, he listened as she added. "We're leaving soon, right? I want to find my dad, before the walkers scare him off."

"Yeah, yeah, we're leaving soon, but we gotta come up with a plan before we do anything" he explained, trying to ignore her blatant want to go out and find Carlos. Thinking to what Carver said, he wondered if telling her at that moment would save a lot of grief later down the line. On the other hand, it could cause her to shut down again, maybe even worse than when she did in the restaurant, and he didn't want that hurting his chances of getting her and the group out of that place.

"You okay, Lee? You seem troubled." Sarah asked suddenly, staring at him with a quizzical expression on her face.

Thinking quickly, he just smiled softly and denied anything. "It's nothing, alright. Just tired."

"I know how you feel," she agreed, thankfully distracted from her father with her day. "We were shown how to load one of those rifles today, and how to shoot them properly. They're really heavy."

"Yeah, I bet." Lee nodded, wondering what it must have been like handling those for a thirteen year old. He was a grown man, and the guns didn't seem all that heavy to him, but for Sarah, he had to guess the experience was terrifying and tiring for her. Maybe Riley was right. However, he thought on what Chuck told him months ago, and those words he held close to him. No one was young, old, brave or even smart. For them, they were all just alive. If Sarah was to survive, he had to give her all the skills to do that.

Thinking on how to cheer her up, he remembered the keychain sitting in his pocket, his hand moving to rummage through as she stared at him, confusion quickly turning to glee as she saw the small rabbit keychain he held in his hand. Happy at her ecstatic reaction, he gave it to her as he commented. "I found it in the abandoned toy store upstairs and thought, well, maybe you'd like it."

Taking it out of his hand, Sarah stared down at it in her own smaller hands, a grin on her brightened face. "Thank you!" Putting it in her pocket, she glanced back up as she thanked him. "I'll keep it safe."

"Alright. I gotta talk with the group, so you can go and read your book or something." Lee suggested, standing back up as Sarah just nodded and slightly frowned, watching her walk over to her bed and settling down, her book in one hand and her new gift ideally stroked in the other. With that taken cared of, he turned around, seeing some of the group waiting for him to put his views in, and briskly walked back over to the campfire, an eye trained on Sarah to make sure she was fine. As he neared them, he could hear Christa and Lilly discussing matters, whilst Nick just watched as he came closer, nodding to the seat next to him as a silent invitation that Lee accepted.

As he sat down, he heard Lilly explain. "We ain't got much time now, so now that Lee's here, we gotta go through the plan. We gotta be outta here before my rest period is up, and Bill sends me out again."

"Rest period?" Walter chimed in, curious as to what that was.

"It's a set amount of time that scouts are given before we're sent back out again. Usually, it's only a couple of days, but I got extra time for… bringing Lee and the other two back." Lilly finished, her voice softened as she reached the end of that sentence. Lee frowned at that, but he elected not to say anything about it, thinking about how she's helping them escape right then. Lee not saying anything seemed to have boosted Lilly's confidence, and she decided to continue talking. "So, we need to make sure that when we get outta here, we have some way of knowing if Carver's guys are coming after us. We'll need their walkie talkies."

"And how are we gonna do that?" Christa asked, skeptical with the plan so far. "I don't think they're just gonna give them to us."

"No, you're right. We already have one," Lilly confirmed, showing her own walkie talkie that was strapped to her belt. "But we'll need some more in case the group gets split up. I can get into the armoury and swipe some whilst I'm working, so they can't trace them back to you, but we still need a way out. The front gate is too guarded, and the walls are too high to scale. Any holes that you can make through the walls is a no go either, not after your group escaped last time."

"What about the loading bay?" Lee suggested, remembering the room when he first came to Howe's. "That's gotta be a way out."

"We can only get out through the main gate, but the loading bay is where the van is. If we can get there during the night, we can use the van to smuggle our people out, ram the gates if we have to." She agreed, rubbing her chin with her fingers as she thought of something else.

"Ram the gates?" Nick repeated, surprised with the suggestion as he added. "They're some strong gates. Will we be able to do that without damaging the van too much?"

"I saw the gates when I was on the second floor," Walter revealed, glancing around as everyone turned to him. "They don't look all that strong, not when you have a vehicle."

"We had to repair them after bandits decided they wanted to mess with the community, and Bill took care of them. For now, we have an opening before Nathan can get around to fixing it." Lilly added, removing her hand from her face as she then mumbled. "Now, we only need a plan on how we're gonna get you guys out of the Pen without the guards noticing. Maybe I could ask to swap with one of the guards that night, see if Alicia will partner with me."

"Alicia doesn't want to get involved. If we escape, then that'll leave her with Carver to deal with. I can't live with that." Lee rejected, unwilling to allow someone as kind as her to be on the receiving end of Carver's wrath.

"So she knows about this?" Christa pointed out, annoyance shown clearly in her words. "Great, why don't we tell everyone about it then?"

"She promised she wasn't gonna tell anyone." Lee defended, he didn't know Alicia that well, but he was sure she could be trusted, as well as he was sure that if there wasn't any risks for her daughter, they would've joined them immediately.

"I can vouch for her." Lilly agreed, turning to Christa as she added. "She ain't gonna do anything."

Christa seemed unsure with that, still annoyed with Lee for spilling the beans to her, but she just leaned back into her chair silently. Omid glanced at her, before he turned back as Lilly continued. "I could drug the other guard just before I spring you guys. Jack keeps sedatives in the safe."

"No one will know the code besides Jack, though. He'll refuse to help you." Nick frowned. Everyone glanced at each other, realising the truth in his words.

Lee just sighed quietly. "Yeah, he said he didn't want to get involved at all." He wished he looked more closely at the code Jack punched in when he first arrived at the doctor's office. Lilly was dissuaded by this, and glanced behind her at the shutter, realising that her time is running out, and soon people would get suspicious.

Suddenly, a small voice called out, causing everyone to jump at the unexpected sound. "I know it." Turning around, he spotted Sarah standing there, staring up at Lilly as she continued. "Dad was in charge of the medicine when we were last here. I saw him put the code in loads of times, it's 5289."

"Good, we got a way out then. I can't get into Jack's office without rousing suspicion, though, and I don't have a reliable excuse to be there. So, who can?" Lilly asked, glancing around to see who would volunteer.

Omid and Lee glanced at each other, knowing that they would have the best chance with their injuries, but before they could speak up, Sarah interrupted them. "I can do it."

"This is too risky, Sarah, someone else can do it." Christa suggested, giving Sarah a soft smile and appearing very concerned that the young teen offered to do something as dangerous as this. "No one will be mad if you're scared."

"I know, and I am a bit scared but I can do it!" She acknowledged, rubbing her upper arm as her gaze shifted to Lee. "What exactly do we need?"

"My parents owned a drugstore back before, and I remember some of the stuff they sold. Usually, the names that end in '-mine' should do the trick. Hell, grab a bottle of chloroform if you can't find anything else." He explained, grateful that all those years spent helping his father in the store was good for something.

Sarah nodded at this, smiling softly as she replied. "Anything ending in '-mine', got it."

"I haven't got much time left, so we're gonna have to cut this short. We have a way out of the Pen, and the compound. Sarah, grab some medicine for the group, but be careful. We can't take too much in case we tip Bill off." Lilly explained, staring at Sarah as she then addressed the rest of the group. "We might need guns, in case this all goes to hell, so Lee, you need to grab some from the armoury."

"Wait, how the hell am I gonna do that?" he chastised, seeing no clear way in how he was going to accomplish that.

"Easy. I'll change the rota and put you with Laurel tomorrow. I would only take small weapons, though, it may be a bit hard to hide a rifle under your jacket." She responded, smirking at her sarcastic jab at the end. Lee moved to reply with something snarky back, but was cut off when the shutters opened suddenly, Lilly turning around quickly and the rest of the group stiffening, Lee glaring at the person coming into the Pen when he immediately recognized him.

"Luke! What're you doing here?" Lilly asked, suspicious as to why the other guard had entered the Pen with no apparent reason. When he reached them, he stopped, glancing up at Lee, and then explained.

"I know what you guys are planning," he replied, going straight to the point and causing Lee's heart to freeze in fright as the group looked at each other with worry. His mind racing with all the thoughts of what was going to happen with Luke knowing, _shit_ , that could even mean Carver already knew too.

He calmed down when the young man continued. "I want in."

"What makes you think we can trust you?" Christa spat, glaring at him with her intent perfectly clear. Lee agreed, raising an eyebrow and glaring at Luke, not eager to let him in on the plan, he didn't enjoy the idea of him knowing so much already, especially with the way the man had been acting towards them lately.

"Who told you?" Lee asked.

Luke seemed unnerved by her sudden interrogation, but managed to control his facial expression as his gaze shifted over to Nick, who was sitting awkwardly in his chair throughout the entire exchange. Following his eyes, the group turned to Nick, who looked like he wanted to sink into the chair right there.

"Nick?" Walter asked, the only one appearing calm in the situation. Lee and Christa glared at him, growing impatient with the young man, and that impatience turned to anger as he finally spilled. "I told him. It just slipped out, and I thought, we are the only ones left that escaped here already. Luke is the only one who knows, and is not stuck in here. He can help!"

"Jesus Christ, Nick." Lee growled, rubbing his eyebrows with his fingers. A headache was already coming on, and all he wanted was to sleep, yet everything seemed to be grating on his nerves.

"I hate to admit it, but Nick makes some sense." Lilly piped up, quickly adding when Lee appeared flabbergasted. "Look, I know I'm the last person to talk about trust but, well, Luke and Nick are the only ones that escaped that are here. Maybe they can point out tips for us to use."

"Luke's a good guy, we should trust him." Sarah added, glancing around as she continued, newfound confidence evident in her voice. "No matter what he's done, he's still our friend, and can't don't turn on our own. Especially now."

Lee wasn't sure, but seeing Sarah trusting him, and the fact that he was willing to help rather than run to Carver the minute Nick told him, which he assumed was hours ago, lifted his opinion of him slightly. If only slightly. With a defeated nod, he listened as Luke released a breath that he was holding, his voice sounding much more happier with the group's trust in him. "Carver plugged up most of the holes that we used last time, but there's still someone on guard duty. What is our plan so far?"

"We were gonna put Lilly on guard duty for the Pen tomorrow night, and use drugs to knock out the other one to make a getaway. The loading bay was our best bet." Christa explained, appearing unsure still regarding whether they should trust Luke or not.

Blinking, he thought through the plan just explained to him as he repeated, glancing over at Lilly. "The loading bay? You mean, you guys are looking to steal one of the vans?"

"We can use it to smuggle the rest of the group out. Otherwise, there's too many of us to get out unnoticed." She pointed out, glancing over her shoulder anxiously, Lee following her gaze at the shutters and realised. The guards on duty would be getting suspicious by then, especially with Luke going in along with Lilly.

"Well, you should still steal some medicine, gives us a chance when we do get outta here, but I can easily take guard duty with Lilly tomorrow night. When everyone settles down for the night, we'll spring you guys, and we can get to the loading bay from there." Luke agreed, though his face fell more when he added. "We gotta make sure we don't wake Nathan up. Usually, he works during the night so that the vehicles work in case of a midnight raid. Bill made sure after last time."

"So it's settled then?" Omid asked, right by Christa's side, glancing around at the group as he continued. "We alright with the plan?"

"It's not the most sound proof, but it beats waiting here for Carver to kill us, or worse." Christa frowned, standing up slowly whilst clutching her stomach, Omid quickly helped her up, suggesting. "How about we get some sleep? Don't wanna be deprived for the great escape."

"That's a good idea. Remember what still needs to be done. Lee, weapons. Sarah, medicine, anything you can grab, but don't get too greedy. Luke and I'll swap the schedule's around for guard duty tomorrow. For now, get some sleep." Lilly ordered, walking away with Luke in tow as she said her farewells, glancing back at Lee as the two nodded silently.

Lee straightened himself, stretching his arms as he yawned, walking over to his bed whilst listening to the banging of Lilly's fist against the metal shutters, the door scrapping as it was opened and the two guards left, leaving the group alone. Reaching his bed, he sat down on the edge, glancing around to see the rest of his group getting ready for the night; Nick lying down on the bed opposite him with Sarah close by, crawling in behind Nick and disappearing from sight as she hide behind his large frame. Lying down, he pulled the covers over the two, before turning back to Lee with a grim expression, he muttered. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Lee replied, settling down on his makeshift bed himself.

A short silence hung in the air, before Nick's quieter voice responded. "For telling Luke about the plan. At least, without telling you guys first."

"If it's any consolation, I think you actually made the right call." He admitted, his arms moving underneath his pillow, his head resting on the risen bump, as Nick seemed relieved Lee wasn't mad at him. "We don't need to knock some poor guy out to escape now, and it means Sarah only has to steal less medicine."

"Why did we let her do this, though? She's just a kid, shouldn't we be looking after her? 'Cause last I checked, it felt more like the other way around." Nick interrogated, a scowl on his face at the thought of the young teen doing such a dangerous task. He frowned, keeping his voice lower than before as he added "Carlos wouldn't like this."

"Sometimes, we gotta do what we gotta do, Nick." Lee explained as Nick fell silent. Remembering what Chuck told him back on the train, he decided to give that advice to help him see. "You gotta treat her like she's alive, that's it, 'cause you're either living or you're not. You ain't little, you ain't a girl or a boy, you ain't smart or strong. You're alive, that's all that matters."

"You sound just like Uncle Pete…" Nick muttered, turning his back to Lee as the last thing he said reached his ears. "And look what happened to him."

A frown plastered across his face, he opened and closed his mouth, not knowing how to reply. Lying there, he shot a glance at Nick's back, watching his shoulders move gently with each breath he took, and wondered if he fell asleep that fast or if he was ignoring him. Either way, he had an important job to do tomorrow, if his group were to have means of protecting themselves, and so he shuffled quietly onto his side, facing the far wall of the Pen. Despite the exhaustion that wracked at his body before, his mind was racing ten to the dozen, all the thoughts and anxiety of what was to come tying his stomach in knots. Lee closed his eyes, trying desperately to will himself to sleep. Slowly, his body relaxed as much as it could, and he was treated to another night of dreamless sleep.

The next morning came too quickly, it feeling like he had only slept for five minutes. Eyes cracked open, the headache that was starting last night hitting him full force, and it was only a few moments before he noticed Sarah staring down at him, a worried smile on her face. Sitting up, he moved her back slightly with his left hand as she started to speak. "The guards are telling us what'll happen today, and then we're off to the restaurant for breakfast."

"This should be good." Lee mumbled bitterly, glancing back at the young teen when he noticed her face was pale. "Are you okay, Sarah?"

"Yes… no, not really." She admitted, her eyes falling downwards as she whispered. "I feel sick."

"Maybe, you just need some food in you. Everything'll be alright, sweetie." He tried to console, only becoming more worried as she weakly nodded, moving back to walk over to the rest of the group that were standing at the front of the Pen, near the shutters. Sitting up, he groaned as his back cracked, rubbing it with the palm of his hand as he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of his bed and standing up. Briskly walking over to rejoin his friends, he stood there, Christa by his side, as they listened to the guard droning on.

Rather than Dwight, it was Tess that was dragging them to get their food, and Lee couldn't stop tensing at the thought of being anywhere near the horrid woman. He simply ignored what she was saying, focusing on the rest of his friends, realising how little sleep they must have got from how tired and nerve wracked they all appeared. Sarah looked the worst, her small shoulders slumped as if it took too much effort to stand straight, her eyes glassy and dazed from behind her messy lens, one of them still cracked. Her puffy jacket did well to hide her thin frame, but it didn't help stem Lee's frantic thoughts. Was she like this because of the plan? Was she that nervous?

Was he putting too much weight on her shoulders?

He didn't know how ill she was, and he didn't want her to collapse on them during the day, otherwise he didn't know what they'd have to do about the plan. With a stern face, he decided that, even if he had to carry her, he would get Sarah as far away from this place as possible. Suddenly, everyone started to move out of the Pen, Lee keeping close to Sarah and Christa, glancing over at the latter as they both shared a worried look. A sneeze caught his attention, looking down by his side to see Sarah rubbing her reddened nose. Worried, he leaned down and muttered to her. "What's wrong, Sarah?"

"I don't know… I feel…" That was it, Sarah's legs gave in and it was only the quick reflexes of the older man that stopped her from colliding with the ground. A short yell escaped him, and that caught the attention of the rest of the others, the group stopping as the guards in front turned around. Suddenly, Tess' voice snapped from far ahead, her tone harsh as she demanded. "What the fuck is going on back there?!"

"It's Sarah, she's fainted!" Christa snapped back, unwilling to take that tone when someone close to her was this ill, especially the only kid in her group. Keeping her supported, Lee watched frantically as Christa continued. "She needs to go see the doctor, now."

"I'll take her." Lee offered, picking Sarah up, ready to make his way to Jack's office when Tess stopped him, her glare cold and hateful.

"I don't think so. Joel! take the brat to Jack's office and then come upstairs for breakfast!" she ordered the other guard, already moving out with the others as he walked over to the unconscious Sarah. Carefully taking her from Lee's arms, he appeared sympathetic for the situation, his voice kind as he promised. "I'll take good care of her, alright? I'll tell you what Jack says when I come back."

Nodding, he spared one last glance at Sarah before being forced to follow after the rest of his group, taking steps two at a time to reach them at the top of the flight of stairs. Reaching them, he continued into the restaurant with them, suddenly finding all of his appetite leaving him, instead replaced by the need to know if Sarah was alright. Tess was already gone, having abandoned the group to sit with the other guards, and so they all decided to sit in the corner of the large venue again. Looking over at the counter, he saw Gabriel standing there, confused when he mentally counted the people in the small group, yet missing the young teen. With only a shrug, he carried on to the table and sat down, leaning against his hand as the others glanced at each other anxiously.

"Do you think the stress has gotten to her?" Walter asked, worried for Sarah.

"I don't know, but I hope she's okay…" Omid replied, even him showing worry.

Lee didn't reply, lost in his own thoughts, and when breakfast came, he could only watch as everyone else tried to force themselves to eat the food.


	25. Escape

After breakfast, Lee was surprised when Ellie snatched him away from his way to the greenhouse, dragging him somewhere else instead before he could even say goodbye to his friends. Christa watched them leave, waving and with a smile on her face seeing the small teenager dragging the man away with no effort or hesitation at all, before she and Omid were forced to go to their jobs for the day, being herded by Luke as he gave an almost missable nod. Lee couldn't help but feel no one was actually ready for what was coming. At the base of the stairs, Lee awkwardly stood there, eyes darting over to the door leading to Jack's office.

Ellie continued to talk to him, her tone tired and yet frightened. She looked around a few times as she was slowly making her way to the doctor's office, like she was afraid someone could be watching, fidgeting with her fingers. She also spoke very fast, Lee barely understanding what she was saying. "Hey, I haven't been able to sleep much last night. How 'bout you?"

"As well as you can on shelves." He replied dryly, though his face was masked in sympathy for the obviously frantic girl. Despite the abrupt start to his day, he could see that something was eating away at her, and recalled her brother, his tone soft as he asked. "Is Alex alright?"

She didn't reply, but her face fell even more as bagged eyes stared downwards at the floor, her hand rubbing her arm whilst Lee waited for an answer. Staring down at her, he could tell from her slumped shoulders and worn face that she was exhausted. Eventually, her voice quiet, she muttered. "He's still in Jack's office. For now, he's stable but…"

She took a deep breath. "Lee, his ribs are fractured and he needs rest! Bill said he can't give him long enough, we're down so many people, and I'm scared that eventually, he's gonna decide that there's no hope for him..." Her voice cracked as she covered her mouth with one hand, trying to contain the sobs. "I can't lose him…"

Taking a step closer, he placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling it shaking under his scarred palm. With a frown, he watched as she looked up to match his gaze. He knew it was too much, he couldn't risk the plan failing because they had too many people, but he also couldn't just leave the kid to die. He spoke urgently. "If needed to, can your brother move?"

"What?" she asked, confused by the sudden question, and quickly answered when Lee's gaze narrowed. "Yeah, he can move with help, but it'll be painful for him. Jack said that if his ribs are injured any more, they'll break and can puncture his internal organs."

"Alright then, listen to me." Lee paused, glancing around to see if there was anyone around that might eavesdrop on their conversation, and when there was no one around, did he turn back to continue what he was explaining. "My group, we're leaving. We ain't staying for that fucker to eventually kill us."

"You're leaving? When!?" she whispered, surprised that the group had already made a plan despite spending a few days in the compound. Yet again, the place was so terrible that it wouldn't have surprised anyone to find that people were escaping.

"Tonight. Are you able to get Alex and meet up with us?" he asked, continuing to walk to the doctor's office with her. After a few moments of thought, she nodded silently, and Lee smiled. "Good. We're being sprung from the Pen when lights go out. Grab Alex and meet us in the loading bay, that's where we'll be smuggling our group out with one of the vans."

"Loading bay. Alright." She repeated, glancing nervously at the door they reached. Stopping, she placed her hand on the worn wood, glancing nervously at Lee as he nodded silently, watching as she took a deep breath and opened the door, walking inside with him right behind her. A quiet thump was all that the door made when it shut, and instead the pitiful moans of the injured and unwell carried through the air. Looking around as they passed through the doctor's office to the patients room, he spotted Jack writing on loose pieces of papers on a small table, Sarah sitting on one of the stretchers with a pale look on her face, a thermometer in her mouth.

Glancing up, he noticed Ellie and Lee standing there, his voice hoarse as he pointed out. "You guys realise that I'm busy? If you came here for Alex, he's over there, but I ask that you keep quiet whilst I'm working."

"Will do." Ellie obeyed, walking over to her brother whilst Lee moved towards Sarah instead. The young teen was pale, with sweat rolling down the side of her face, and as he got closer he noticed that her signature red glasses were gone, glancing around to see them sitting on a metal tray beside her. The illness must have been difficult for her, her face just staring straight ahead without giving any sort of glance or movement to Lee, not even the small wave she always gave him. Worried, his gaze moved from the sick girl to the doctor writing words down.

"How she doing, doc?" he asked Jack, watching as the doctor paused in his inane scribbling, and looked up from behind his glasses.

Frowning, he dropped the pen on the table, the object rolling slightly before coming to a complete stop, before he stood up, walking closer to Lee, and began to explain. "It's nothing serious, thankfully, but Sarah has developed flu symptoms and some signs of a chest infection, most likely from the incoming winter and the fact that she's sleeping practically outside."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"I gave her some antibiotics to fight the infection, but we don't have enough for a complete course. Soon, she gonna have to fight it on her own, but as she's quite fit otherwise, it shouldn't kill her." Jack brushed off, though his tone suggested he felt terrible for the teen's predicament. "I asked Bill that she be temporarily removed from the Pen during her recovery, to give her a better chance, and he gave the all clear."

"I don't want her to be somewhere with people she doesn't know." Lee muttered with a frown, watching as Jack removed the thermometer from Sarah's mouth, reading the numbers and then recording it on his papers. Placing the instrument on a metal trolley, he turned his attention back to Lee, his face pulled in a grim look, as he signed Lee to follow him towards the back of his office, away from the patients.

"Well, first, you're not her father to have a say in this matter."He pointed out, sitting on his desk. "Second, If Sarah stays in that place, chances are that she'll get worse, and that's a death sentence here. She's staying here for the night, then we'll decide in the morning if she needs to stay longer or be temporarily moved into a new room."

With that, he turned his attention to the paperwork on his desk. His voice softer as he asked. "I suggest you go to work," he raised his voice. "And yes, Ellie, you too."

The last part of his suggestion was spoken louder, directed to the girl as she moved away from her brother, a cold glare given to the doctor as she snapped. "Alright. God help any of your loved ones if they get hurt, they'd have to deal with your fucking bedside manners."

"They might have, if I had any loved ones left. Go on now, before you get all of us in trouble." Lee wanted to protest, as the thought of Sarah slowly getting worse from both fear and the infection spurred something within him, this protectiveness that he hadn't felt since Clementine, knowing that the reason she was ill was because of being forced to live practically outside, in the middle of winter, he couldn't help but blame himself. Carver may have forced them, but Lee could have asked, if not outright beg, for Sarah to be moved. She was only a child, and he made a promise to look after her. Seeing her health deteriorate, he couldn't stop the fears of losing her too, and the failure of protecting another child proved too much for him.

However, Ellie pulled his sleeve, nearly dragging him out of the room again. "Alex doesn't look good. The drugs given must have helped him with the pain, but I don't think I can even move him without setting Jack off."

"I can help. I'll meet up with you after we get sprung, and we'll move him together, steal one of the gurneys if we have to." He offered, unwilling to abandon Ellie in the community after giving her hope for Alex.

"You know, you ain't a bad guy, Lee. I kinda wish things were different." She wished, folding her arms as she added. "You remind me of my dad."

"I feel like I'm everyone's dad." That made them both laugh, and Lee felt somewhat happier actually joking with someone. It helped stem the twisting in his stomach. However, they couldn't stand there forever, and Ellie knew this as she grumbled. "We gotta get to work. We didn't finish cleaning the paddock yesterday, and no doubt it's worse today, so we better get crackin'."

The two fell silent after that, the younger of the duo nodding for him to follow her to the paddock to start their work. Looking back at the door, he couldn't stop the worry gnawing at him, and could only quietly hope that Sarah would get through this. Whilst he was looking, he heard Elie quietly mutter to him.

" _God, I hope this plan works."_

It was around midday when Dwight came downstairs, standing by the door as he explained to Lee that he was working inventory with Laurel until dinner time, before the duo bid farewell to Ellie. Going back in, they started to make their way, he noticed that Dwight was more anxious than usual, and couldn't help but feel like something happened to Kristina. It was the only thing that would explain the guard's behaviour. Slowly, and with caution, he asked. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah… Listen, Lee, that plan you were talking about the other day. Is it still going down?" So that's what was causing his behaviour, Lee thought, and wondered if Dwight had a change of heart over it.

After a few seconds of pause, he nodded. "It's happening tonight. You changed your mind on it?"

"Kristina was actually the one to suggest it. Turns out, nearly dying twice in this place can really sour your will to stay." He tried to joke, but it fell flat as his face showed what he was really feeling. Fear, worry, and he could see some anger at what this community had done to not only him, but the woman he loved. Whilst the two were walking, nearly at the flight of stairs leading up to the first floor, he decided to continue. "I want in."

"You sure, man?" Lee asked, getting slightly worried with the number of people that wanted to leave. "With my group, Ellie and her brother, and now you and Kristina… The group is reaching eleven people."

"It's not gonna be easy, I'll give you that, but Kristina and I can't escape on our own. I can run when I'm on my scouting missions, but she's stuck here all the time." He explained, rubbing his neck with his free hand, his rifle perched on his shoulder for support. The two started walking up the stairs, taking it slow to give them more time to talk.

"We'll be using one of the vans to smuggle people out. I guess, if you guys are serious, a few more won't hurt." Lee conceded, knowing that it was him that told Dwight of the plan. "If you can, meet my group in the loading bay after lights off."

"Lights off, got it." He nodded, and turned to the armoury opposite of the restaurant, standing at the top of the stairs whilst Lee finished walking up them. Silently, he carried on walking to the large shop, the shutters closed with the lock keeping it that way, and no Laurel in sight. Confused, he glanced around to try and spot the woman, and when he couldn't see her anywhere, he grumbled to himself. "Great."

"Is there a problem?" Lee asked, watching the guard as he leaned against the shutters, the former electing to just stand there and watch.

"Laurel was supposed to be here, and I can't just let you in because she's the only one with the key to the shutters. Besides, she'd shiv me if I mess up her order of stuff." Dwight explained, holding his weapon in both hands lazily, and just as those words left his mouth, his gaze shifted to something behind Lee, his voice sharp as he chided. "I thought you were meant to stay in the armoury during your shifts. What are you doing leaving it?"

"If you must know, I was with Kate, looking after her for Alicia. Only when she puked all over my files, I had to give her to Jack." A new voice chided, a Canadian accent laced in it. Turning around, Lee spotted a tall woman walking towards them, her tanned face frowning deeply as she stared at Dwight. "Is this the guy helping me for the afternoon?"

"That's Lee." He confirmed, standing up properly as he muttered to Lee. "See you later."

"See you." After that, Dwight walked off from the two, and Lee was left with Laurel as she moved to the shutters, key in hand. Unlocking the shutters, she pushed them up, giving it a extra push when they got jammed halfway, before turning back to her new help.

"'Cause Kate ruined my files, we're gonna have to take inventory of everything in here and write it down." Despite her hostile tone towards the idea that her files were ruined, she was otherwise a very professional lady, and she adopted a softer tone when she added. "Poor kid. You can never stay mad at her for long, I think it's her eyes. She definitely has her mother's."

Quickly, Laurel returned to her professional state and opened the door leading into storage, Lee quickly following after her. He was surprised with all the supplies that were there; food, water, weapons and even clothes, his mind going back to the clothes given to Christa. Walking in further, he looked at all the containers, and noticed that everything were in places according to what they were, the containers holding the clothes were in one side of the room, whilst weapons were stored in tall metal lockers that had a sign on them reading 'weapons and ammo'. It was all quite impressive.

Whilst he was looking around, he heard Laurel start explaining. "We're gonna start on weapons, then move around the room. You say what we have and I'll write it down. Maybe I can find new binders, ones that don't stink of sick."

As she continued mumbling to herself about binders, Lee nodded and moved over to the lockers to start inventory count, only noticing that the lockers were locked as well. Turning back around, he saw that Laurel was watching him, a composed look on her face as she pointed out. "The lockers have codes on them, just so our weapons and ammo are protected. Here's all the codes."

Taking a scrap of paper, he looked at them and noticed that each individual locker had a different code. "Well, you gotta give points for thinking of everything."

Starting with the one closest, he dialed in the code and opened it, noticing the pistols and knives first. That was what Lilly was talking about. Glancing behind his shoulder, he saw that Laurel was busy with something, her back turned to him, and so he quickly slipped some ammo into his inside pocket, and a long knife under his jacket, positioning the knife in his sleeve under his armpit, whilst the pistol was shoved in his pocket. When taking out the heavy weapon, he was careful not to make any loud noises, not wanting Laurel to find out what he was doing.

"Well?" she asked, Lee turning his head to see her finally looking at him, seemingly unaware that he had weapons hidden on his person. "Are you gonna start labelling stuff off or just kneel there?"

"Sorry, I was just distracted. Lack of sleep." He lied, watching as she nodded.

"I suppose those beds aren't the greatest, but just try to concentrate. We gotta get this stuff counted and written down, and _hopefully_ these binders won't get retched on…" she explained, before looking down at her paper and back up at Lee, waiting for him to start listening stuff off. Turning back into the locker, he glanced at all the weapons that would have been handy.

He couldn't take anymore without rousing suspicion, and so he carried on taking inventory, telling Laurel what was in there as she wrote it down.

They continued this through all the lockers, and then went on to write down the rest of the supplies, Lee not daring to take anything else. He wanted to. The supplies kept there would help his group immensely when they were out in the world again, but it would be better for their escape if he only took what was necessary. He watched as light began to fade from the windows, as nightfall was coming, and soon after he wondered when dinner would be, a knock on the door caught both of their attention. Quickly, Laurel opened the door and, noticing how dark it was getting, asked the guard. "Is that really the time?"

"Yep, I'm here to make sure Lee goes to the restaurant." He quickly recognized Joel's voice, and appeared at the door, noticing the guard turn his gaze to him. "Come on, man, people are already eating."

Nodding, he walked out of the storage, leaving Laurel to finish up, and when he was about to ask her, Joel stopped him. "I wouldn't waste your breath. Laurel's a serious workaholic, and I'm pretty sure she'll melt if she leaves something unfinished."

"I got that from working with her." Lee agreed, before turning his thoughts to food. He was starving, and after talking with Dwight and Ellie, his appetite was starting to make a comeback. Hopefully, his friends were faring just as well as he was, especially Sarah. His mind started to focus on her, and he worried about the plan if she was taken out of the Pen tonight.

His friends were already in the restaurant, and he noted that he was always the last one in, smiling lightly when he noticed that Sarah was sitting with them. Relieved, he quickly moved over to them, dragging his chair out whilst glancing at the teen, his voice concerned as he asked. "I thought you would have been in the doctor's office, how come you're here?"

"I told Jack that I wanted to be with you guys." Sarah explained, rubbing her red nose and sniffed. The antibiotics seemed to have helped her coughing, but she still looked very unwell, her face pale and eyes dulled. She seemed nervous, glancing around, and Lee had to put his hand on her shoulder, a knowing look on his face helping calm her nerves. She wasn't used to this, and he wondered if Carlos even told her they were leaving last time.

He felt his hunger at full blow when Gabriel brought some plates to them, pulling him out of his thoughts. Placing them down, his mouth watered at the sight of cooked vegetables and canned meat, eating away with the rest of the group. When they were done, wanting to get to the Pen as soon as possible, they waited for the guards on duty to take them back. Whilst they were waiting, Lee decided to tell the group about Jack's plan on moving Sarah. "There's something going on that might put a dent in our plan."

"What is it?" Christa asked, shoving her plate to one side as she stared at him with a concerned look.

"Jack's planning on moving Sarah out of the Pen. Tomorrow." That set Sarah off, her face falling as the thought of being separated from her friends got to her.

Shaking her head, she tried to keep her voice low as she begged. "Please, don't let them take me. I want to stay with you guys."

"If it wasn't for the plan, I woulda been happy that she was taken out of that place, but this is bad. Do we know where he's gonna take her?" Walter asked, worried for the panicking teen.

"No, she's staying in the infirmary for tonight, and we can't let it happen. If Sarah gets taken, then the plan gets fucked. " Lee explained, determined to not have Sarah taken from him. It wasn't just the plan, it was the idea itself of being apart from her that concerned him. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to think what they could do.

"Wait…" Sarah suddenly said, getting the group's attention. Her voice not louder than a whisper as she explained. "If I have to stay tonight… I could steal the medicine! Jack would be asleep so he won't even notice-"

"Then you sneak out and meet us in the loading bay." Nick continued with a smile on his face. "That's a great idea, kid."

Sarah smiled at the compliment, visibly ecstatic with being useful to the group, after her doubts to her own worth. Glancing at Lee, her smile widened, and the two shared a smile. It wasn't long before someone came for them, a hand on his shoulder catching Lee's attention as he turned around, seeing Dwight standing there with a worried look on his face. Quietly, he addressed him and the group. "We gotta go down to the Pen."

"Finally. The sooner we get there, the better." Christa muttered, watching as Sarah stood up with them. With everyone up, Lee looked around as they were being herded out of the restaurant, watching as the other survivors around them started to get ready to retire for the night. He spotted Alicia in the crowd, an asleep Kate in her arms, and couldn't help but give her a smile, it wavering when she could only respond with a wary stare. Confused, he couldn't investigate further as the group exited the closing restaurant, walking through the dark open area towards the flight of stairs leading to the ground floor.

Sarah grabbed hold of Lee's jacket, her grip tight, and he glanced down to see that her confidence was slipping. She was terrified. Covering her hand with his own, they quietly followed at the back of the group. Looking ahead, his voice grumbled lowly, concern in his tone as he asked her. "How you holding up, Sarah?"

"I'm fine…" she lied, not meeting his gaze whilst her hand continued to grip tightly on the thick leather. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she glanced up at the door leading back to Jack's office, before looking back up at Lee with a worried look. Slowly, she released her grip on his jacket, and started to walk over to the door as she softly spoke.

"I'll wait until Jack falls asleep, and then I'll sneak out with the medicine." She repeated.

"Be careful." Lee replied, feeling his stomach knot as the group said their goodbyes to the teen girl, before walking to the shutters leading into the Pen. Dwight paused, opening the shutters, before he watched the group walking in. When Lee was about to follow after his friends, he heard the guard mutter to him.

"I'll grab Kristina and meet you guys after lights out. You guys alright getting outta here?" he asked, glancing into the Pen.

"Yeah, Lilly and Luke are keeping guard for tonight." He revealed, walking into the Pen with a final word. "Be ready."

"Will do. See you later, Lee." With that, the shutters were closed, and the group were left alone. Turning around, Lee couldn't stop the hope that was lifting his spirits, his thoughts thinking about the freedom for him, and his friends. He wondered where they would go. Savannah was overrun, along with Georgia and Macon. South Carolina was most likely Carver's turf, so they would have to leave the state to get out of his grip. Thinking about it, he remembered Sofia's words when she first met him.

Up north. The walkers would be slow, and they'd be out of Carver's reach. With a faint smile, he briskly walked over to the group that were sitting down, and began voicing his ideas, watching Christa remembering those exact words Sofia told them as he explained. "When we get outta here, we gotta leave the state. Be sure that Carver and his men can't follow us. I say we head north."

"North? We'll freeze our asses off up there!" Nick snapped, already holding his arms as a rogue wind blew into the exposed Pen.

"So will the walkers." Christa added, turning to Nick with a knowing look, and glanced around the group as she took her turn explaining. "It's what Lee, Omid and I were planning on doing with that girl we met. Go up north to get a better chance against the walkers."

"What about south? Texas, Florida, Georgia?" Walter spoke up, concerned about the cold. "Winter is nearly here. It must be around December, and we'll surely freeze to death before we reach any shelter."

"We came from Georgia, it's overrun. Savannah, Atlanta, all of it." Christa rejected, frowning as she added. "San Francisco, all around that… it's gone too."

"We don't have to go all the way to Canada, just far enough to be out of Carver's reach. Once we're safe, we can see how it goes, and if it doesn't work out then we move down south." Lee compromised.

The group agreed on it, Nick nodding as he nervously glanced at the door, awaiting when it would open again and they would be able to leave. Lee shared his nervousness, feeling his stomach tie itself in knots, but he kept strong, and with the rest of the group; he waited. It took a while, but soon they saw that the lights in the pen were switched off, leaving them with only the light from the fire to see. During this time, Lee had sat down near Omid and Christa, watching everyone glance at each other, no one daring to say anything. The darkness spread, save for the spotlights in the distance, the gate barely being seen from the thick planks of wood nailed to the fences.

It wasn't until the lights were off for a while before a low scraping sound could be heard, Lee glancing to see the shutters opening slowly, as to not awaken anyone. Behind it was Lilly, her arm upwards to keep the shutters from slamming shut, and she waved with her other arm to signal for the group to come over. Quickly, they sprung to their feet and moved stealthily over to her. Whilst the rest of the group moved out, Lee glanced around, only spotting her, and made his thoughts known when he couldn't see someone. "Where's Luke?"

"He was taken to Carver's office for a debriefing. He's gonna be my new partner for scouting, considering Mike was killed." She explained, her lips pulled in a thin frown as she added. "He slipped me a note. He's gonna meet us in the loading bay after lights out, when he manages to slip his roommates."

"I don't like that. What if Carver's done something to him?" he pointed out, feeling the worry gnaw at him for the younger man.

"Don't worry. I don't think Carver suspects a thing, he's just been debriefing a lot of the scouts because they're gonna be sent out these next few days. That's why I wanna get outta here before then." Lilly tried to console.

Lee just nodded, unsure whether to take her words at face value or not, but continued on for his group's sake. With that, Lilly slipped the shutters back down, and moved to the front of the group as she whispered. "We're gonna go as fast as we can, but we gotta be careful too. We don't wanna get the attraction of the guards. Just follow me and keep quiet."

With that, she led the group along the hallway that led towards Jack's office and the loading bay, moving as quietly as she can. The group followed her; Omid and Christa at the front, the couple holding onto each other to make sure they were never separated. Nick was behind them, his body tense and frightened, ready to spring into action at the slightest provocation, whilst Walter just shared a worried look with Lee. Feeling the knife moving in the armpit of his jacket, he slipped his hand in and pulled out the weapon, handing it to Walter with a quiet. "If something goes wrong, you need to defend yourself."

"I don't know… but I'll try." Walter mumbled, taking the knife awkwardly and kept it tightly in his hand. Removing the pistol from his jacket pocket, Lee tightened his hands around it, feeling the sickening safety that holding the weapon gave him. The world was truly fucked if holding a gun was the safest he felt in a while.

Suddenly, Lilly pressed herself against the wall of the stairs, the group copying her as they straight upwards, following her line of sight. Up above, there was a lone light shining downwards, the source belonging to one of the guard's forehead torch. Lee felt his heart stop, watching the light move closer and closer to him at the end of the line, his foot moving in more to prevent it from being spotted. Watching the beam stop, the group was silent, all of them stiffened, and they could only watch as the light moved away from them again; the guard moving on.

Releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding, he moved away from the wall with the rest of the group. Quietly, he heard Omid whisper. "We better move. I don't want to stop and pretend to ask for directions if we're caught."

" _Omid_." The hiss from his girlfriend quietened him, and they continued moving along the hallway until they reached the door leading to Jack's office. The sound of it opening made them all jumped, and Lee didn't know that he raised his gun until he saw it pointing at the person at the door. A quiet gasp made him lower it, knowing that it didn't belong to Jack, and he was pleased to see Sarah standing with the door open, her hand behind her pulling something.

Confused, he immediately recognized another face appearing at the door, seeing Ellie standing at the other end of a gurney that had her asleep brother on a finger on her lips, he frowned further as he heard Lilly quietly scold. "Jesus fucking Christ. You nearly gave us a heart attack!"

"Sorry! We had to get Alex outta there, and we had to wait for Jack to go to sleep." Sarah explained, glancing behind her. He noticed that she subtly messed with a bag that was tied to the gurney, a bottle peeking out through a small opening before being shoved back in, she quickly closed the bag and carried on. That was the medicine, he was thankful, knowing that she lifted more than he had thought. She added. "He's worked himself so hard lately that he sleeps through anything during the night."

"Great, let's get outta here." Nick spoke up, glancing around to see if there was any guards. Sarah nodded, opening the door so that they could push the gurney out, Lee replacing her at front as he pulled with Ellie, moving Alex out of the office. With him in the hall, they continued to move towards the loading bay nearby. Glancing behind him, he saw that the boy was incoherent, laying there whilst mumbling softly under his breath. He had no idea what pain Alex was in, nor what drugs was being pumped around his system, but the noises were not working to their advantages.

Christa knew this as she snapped. "His mumbling is gonna get us caught!"

"Leave him alone." Ellie warned, her voice a low snarl. "He's on morphine. He doesn't even know what is happening right now."

"Come on, guys." Omid tried to cease the fighting, glancing between the two as they reached the large doors leading into the loading bay. Lilly raised a hand, stopping everyone behind her, and silently gestured for them to wait whilst she glanced inside. Opening it, her head peered in for a few moments as she looked around, before she pulled out again and whispered. "It's clear. Dwight and Kristina are waiting inside."

Nodding, the group quickly moved in, Lee and Ellie pushing Alex in when he noticed a light coming at the end of the hallway, shining against the wall. A guard was coming. Swearing to himself, he pulled harsh on the gurney, tugging it in and closing the door behind Ellie before they were spotted. For a moment, he sighed, and then turned to see Lilly keeping watch, moving briskly to her as he warned. "We got guards coming this way. We gotta get people loaded and hurry the fuck up."

"Help everyone get in the back, and I'll keep watch. If Luke doesn't get here by the time we've loaded, we gotta go." She pointed out.

Nick's voice reached them as he hissed at them. "What, you're just gonna abandon him here?!"

"I don't want to, believe me I don't, but we gotta think about the good of the group, Nick. Soon, guards are gonna notice that I'm not at my post, and that you guys aren't in the Pen." She explained, her voice quiet to avoid bringing attention. "We gotta be gone by then!"

"I don't believe this. We can't leave him here!" Nick countered, squaring up to the guard. "When Carver sees we're gone, he'll put two and two together. Luke is in danger if he's left here!"

"So what, we risk the group being punished for one guy!?" She snapped.

"Both of you need to shut up, or we'll be caught for sure!" Lee scolded, spotting Dwight loading Kristina and Sarah into the truck whilst Walter was helping Ellie loading the gurney that was holding Alex. "I say we wait as long as we can, not abandon our people, but if it comes down to it… we can't risk everyone."

"You held a grudge against Lilly for abandoning your old group, and what, now you're all for it!?" Nick revealed.

Lee's face fell, and his barely controlled anger bubbled to the surface as he coldly warned. "Watch it, boy, or you'll say something you'll regret."

"Look, everyone's nearly loaded up. I'm gonna open the gate, and then we can decide what we're gonna do." Lilly sighed, moving away to Dwight as she tossed the van keys she swiped. "Dwight, you're up front with me. If something goes wrong, I want you to drive and don't stop."

"Alright." He seemed unnerved with the thought, but he knew that the group overall mattered more. Lee watched as she moved towards the control panel he spotted the first time he came to the loading bay, slipping a key from her pocket and unlocking the panel covering the button that opened the shutters. Slowly, they started to move upwards, and the guard took a step back as she watched them, moving back towards the two when the shutters reached halfway.

"Let's pack up. Lee, Nick, get in the back with the rest of the group. Stay quiet, and we should be fine." She explained.

"What about Luke?" Nick repeated himself, crossing his arms with an angered look on his face. "We can't just up and leave him."

"Nick, please, we'll wait as long as we can but if he doesn't come, there's nothing I can do. I mean, I can't exactly go out and look for him." Lilly pointed out, before pointing to the van with her thumb and moved to the front cab. Lee glanced at Nick, seeing him dejected at the thought of abandoning his friend, and patted his shoulder as the duo moved to the open back of the van. Watching his friend jump up first, Lee spun around when he heard talking going on from behind the door, his heart pounding as he glanced around the van, seeing that the shutters were open. Jumping in, he shut the door down, hiding his group at the back of the vehicle as they all quieted down.

Listening, he waited for any sound that would give away the people's position, but all he was greeted with was silence. Calming down slightly, he turned around to see that Kristina had a flashlight with her, it on to illuminate the inside of the van. Everyone looked terrified, Ellie leaning against the wall as she kept the gurney still, Alex mumbling quietly. Eventually, Christa asked him. "You hear anyone?"

"I thought I did, but it might have just been my nerves. It's getting too close now, we need to go." Lee shook his head, noticing Nick's saddened face whilst Sarah appeared distraught, knowing that the group were gonna abandon Luke.

"We can't! Please, Lee, we have to wait for him!" she begged, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. We gotta do what's right for the group." She appeared heartbroken at the truth, lowering her head as Lee walked towards the wall connecting the back to the cab, knocking on it to signal Lilly that it was time to go. Slowly, the engine fired up, and they knew that the noise would bring the community down on them, feeling the lurch of the van moving as they began driving. The hum of the vehicle did little to calm his nerves, not until they were out of the compound, and so Lee remained standing, glancing around the group to see that they were tired, yet frightened.

Omid grabbed Christa's hand, keeping tight hold in an attempt to calm her down, and all she could offer him was a half-smile, knowing the danger they were in. Meanwhile, Nick was just sitting there, Sarah under his arm as the two remained still, not even sparing Lee a glance as he felt guilt rip at him. He didn't want to leave Luke behind, he really didn't, but it was getting too close to them getting caught for him and Lilly to risk being found out. He wondered what would happen to the man, but shook his mind of the thoughts as they continued to wait. Kristina wrapped her arms around her legs, her chin resting on her knees as she no doubt needed Dwight to comfort her.

"How you doing, Kristina?" Lee asked, staring down at her.

"My leg burns like shit, but I'm alive otherwise. I just hope this plan works." She confessed, her hand caressing her fake leg as she added. "You really think it was too late for Luke?"

"Yeah. We can't risk the group like this, but I did wish we had more time." He sighed, noticing Nick frowning deeply at that. Ignoring him, he steadied himself as the van hit a bump in the road, holding a hand out to control the bouncing gurney, noticing Alex wincing in pain.

"When we get outta here, where are we gonna go?" Ellie asked, staring down at her brother with worry. "He's just gonna get worse without rest."

"We'll go north, outta South Carolina, and hopefully Carver can't get us." Lee explained.

Ellie seemed unsure with that plan, knowing the weather up north, but she just nodded instead. "It's as good of a plan as any. As long as we stick together, we should be fine."

"We should stop in towns on the way, scrounge any supplies we can find." Christa suggested.

"You ain't gonna find much in the towns nearby," Kristina spoke up, turning her head to the pregnant woman. "Bill scavenged all that could be useful when he first came to power, and he's left nothing. We should keep driving until we reach the rural villages, see if we can find stuff there."

"We'll have to find something soon, otherwise we'll starve." Nick snapped, glaring at the floor whilst Sarah watched the conversation, visibly worried for the welfare of the group.

"We'll figure something out." Lee butted in, trying to calm everyone down. "The main thing is that we're out of this place, we should be near the gates no-"

A loud bang rang from outside, and the group were thrown against the wall as the van screeched horribly, skidding around as Dwight and Lilly could be heard yelling. Lee's head connected with the solid wall, his ears ringing as his body was at the mercy of the forces, the sound of Sarah screaming and Nick trying to protect her from the gurney that was wildly out of control. The flashlight was thrown from Kristina's hand, smashing against the wall and shattering, leaving them tumbling in the pitch darkness whilst the van kept spinning wildly out of control.

"Omid!" He heard Christa yell, unable to see what was happening from the lack of light. He feared for their safety. From the cab, he could hear Lilly yelling something loudly, but his ears were deafened, almost like they were stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't understand what was being said. Quickly, it stopped, and the whole group laid there on the floor, stunned.

"Is-Is everybody okay!?" He heard Walter say, seeing the older man supporting himself on the wall.

"No, Sarah..." Nick replied, and it suddenly felt as if his body was disconnected to his mind, not being able to hear anything else, his arms laying there uselessly as he finally heard Sarah crying softly, pulling him back to reality, Nick muttering to her quietly. "It's okay, it's okay. I'll try to stop the bleeding."

She was hurt. That thought made the strength return to Lee's limbs, forcing him to move slowly as he looked around, unable to see due to the absence of the flashlight. Groans came from the group, Ellie yelling in pain as she pushed what felt like the gurney against Lee, the wheels poking into him as he moved around it. Shouting could be heard from outside, and the group froze when someone could be heard from outside the door, light flooding in suddenly and illuminating the crash scene. Wincing, he covered his eyes in pain, glancing around to see his group in shambles.

Omid and Christa were terrified of what happened, their faces looking outside with the pregnant woman stiffening. Ellie was clutching her side, rage in her eyes as her brother laid on the floor beside her, now fully awake, the sound of his loud groaning the only sound they would make besides Sarah's pained whimpers. Turning his head to look beside him, Lee couldn't stop the shock at the sight of Sarah's face bleeding, a shard of glass embedded into her right eyebrow, her eyes wincing as Nick managed to finally pull the final shard from her face. The sound of fabric ripping could be heard as the survivor pulled his sleeve, shredding the fabric to halfway up his lower arm, and pressed the scrap to her bleeding forehead.

"Get out, and don't make any sudden moves!" The person who opened the door, quickly recognized to be Tess, her gun pointing at the frightened survivors. With their hands up, they started slowly shuffling out, all of them being watched by the approaching guards. Lee felt his heart pounding wildly, the sound of blood loud in his ears, and he could only look around for Lilly and Dwight, unable to find either of them.

"Line up, Bill's gonna be out in a minute." Another guard ordered, and watched as the group had no choice but to comply. Glancing behind him, Lee spotted the shredded tires first, the wrecked rubber lying across the pavement along with shards of glass, and the van itself collided side first into the gates, forcing them open slightly. Some of the guards moved towards the cab whilst the others kept watch. Opening the door, his face fell as they reached in and dragged someone out, the low groans coming from the body. His heart stopped, and he could only stare at the bloodied face of Lilly, her eyes squinted as she tried to stay awake long enough to know what was going on.

"We found one!" Joel called, his voice somewhat relieved as he lifted Lilly's arm over his shoulders, carrying her over to the rest of the group whilst his partner glanced back into the cab, pulling out her rifle, a feminine voice yelling. "We got her weapon, Dwight's too!"

"Where's Dwight?" Kristina asked, looking around for her boyfriend as her eyes followed the trail of glass and blood, before she just broke down. A pained wail came as she cried out. "No! No, Dwight!"

Following her line of sight, Lee gasped quietly at the sight of Dwight's body smeared across the pavement, his blood trailing behind him in a long line before pooling underneath his corpse. He laid face-down, his head covered in blood, the red liquid staining his clothes. Staring at it, unable to think clearly, Lee didn't see Kristina attempt to move to her boyfriend's body, being stopped by the guards as she shook her head. "Please, please, he needs me! Please, help him! Dwight! Dwight, can you hear me?!"

"His head's completely bashed in, he ain't gonna hear you." Tess scolded, unsympathetic as Kristina gave up, falling to her knees as Lee kneeled beside her, glaring at the female guard whilst the grieving widow just sobbed to herself. Walter watched this, moving towards Kristina to console her too, whilst Tess glanced behind them, a smirk on her face as she chuckled. "The boss is here."

Lee's blood ran cold, his eyes moving from Kristina to the approaching Carver, his frame towering over the three. Glancing around, he saw the group freeze up like a deer in headlights, none of them knowing what would happen, his eyes falling on Omid and Christa's hands intertwined with each other's. Despite his shorter stature, the former moved further in front of his girlfriend protectively, staring at Carver as the leader stopped short of his wall of guards, glaring around as he watched Ellie and Alex on the floor, the former staring up defiantly at him. After only a few moments of nerve-wracking silence, his voice echoed coldly as he demanded. "Where do you people think you're going?"

No one answered his question, instead just watching in fear. Lee felt Sarah grab hold of his jacket, shuffling closer to protect her from their leader's wrath, and watched helplessly as Lilly pushed herself off Joel, ignoring his attempts to help her. Limping forward slightly, her voice was pained as she gasped. "B-Bill, I-"

She was silenced by Bill raising his hand, ignoring her pleas as he continued. "I gave you people a home, food in your bellies, and safety behind these walls. No longer having to look over your back for walkers, or worse, and this is how you repay me? By causing disturbance amongst my people, by insulting my hospitality, by _stealing!?_ Where is the medicine?"

Sarah crouched lower at the question. Lee noticed this, his grip tightening even more on her ski jacket whilst she clung to him, his eyes quickly flashing down at her before settling back on Carver. After it became apparent no one was going to spill, Carver quickly lost his cool as he shouted. " _Where the FUCK is the medicine!?"_

Once again, no one spoke, unwilling to rat their friends out. Knowing this, Bill ran a hand over his face, calming himself down as he coldly explained. "Fine, then. If none of you will talk, we'll have to get answers the hard way."

With that, the guards moved from in front of him, allowing the group to see another survivor dragging a body towards them. Lee squinted in confusion for a moment, watching as the body was thrown to the ground, their face down on the ground, before their hair was gripped painfully and wrenched upwards, exposing them to the group. Nick gasped, moving forward as Tess held her gun out, his voice distressed as he called out. "Luke!"

His face was beaten badly, his lip split with blood dried in his stubble and shirt, and cuts and bruises littering his exposed skin. With his hands tied behind his back, the young man was thrown back on the floor, a foot landing on his back as Carver explained, his voice gravelly. "This isn't how we do things here at Howe's. You follow the rules, earn your place, and you live an alright life than you would out there. But you people decided you didn't like the rules, that they don't apply to you, and this is unacceptable. I can be a patient man, but my patience has ran out. Punishments are in order, and they'll be worse if someone doesn't come forward with the medicine."

Sarah twitched, almost deciding on revealing herself to be the thief when Lee's hand clamped on her arm, their eyes locking for a second as he silently warned her. She frowned, turning back to see Luke glancing up at them, his face pained and eyes pleading for someone to help. With no response, Carver glanced down at the young man, his own son, and kneeled down, his voice low and harsh as he snapped. "I thought I could have trusted you. My own son, and you betrayed us, again."

"I would try over and over, if it meant I could get away from you." Luke spat venomously, yelping out as the guard with their foot on his back moved away, kicking him violently in the side. He yelled out when they did it again, Nick trying to rush to his rescue as Tess held him back, his voice desperate as he pleaded with them. "Bill, that's enough! He's had _enough!"_

"This is what happens when you break the rules. The medicine that you stole, that our people desperately needs, this is the punishment for it." He snapped, glancing at Luke as he raised his hand to stop the guard, the latter obeying and moving away from the groaning hostage. Slowly, the leader turned his head over to Ellie and Alex, moving towards them as the former held her sibling protectively, his head resting on her shoulder as she cradled him.

Kneeling down, Carver's voice was low as he accused her. "The medicine taken woulda helped Alex a lot, especially with the pain. You had to get him out of Jack's office, and that would have been the perfect time to swipe some of our shit for yourselves. Now, I'm gonna give you a chance to confess, Ellie. Where is it?"

Leaning closer to his face, Ellie kept her cold glare as she pronounced her words. "Get fucked."

"Now, that ain't very polite." He replied dryly, matching her glare in intensity as he growled. "I'm going to give you one last chance, and I'd think _very_ hard on what you say next."

"I ain't saying nothing!" She defied him, holding her head high as he stood back up. "If you're gonna shoot me, go ahead."

"No." That made her raise an eyebrow, confused as Carver moved away, signalling to his guards to close in on her and Alex. With her brother suddenly wrenched from her arms, the boy couldn't do anything but weakly call out his sister's name, stretching his arm to try to reach her. Ellie was held back as she fought desperately to save him, yelling loudly as the tyrant added. "I'm gonna hit you where it really hurts."

"Please, no!" she snapped, fighting viciously against the guards' grips, her eyes wide as Alex was thrown unceremoniously by Carver's side. Coughing loudly, he tried to move, to look around and figure out through the haze what was about to happen, and Lee kept a tight hold on Sarah as she screamed. "Carver, stop!"

"You were all fine with throwing people's lives away by stealing, innocent lives! I'm simply returning the favour." Snatching one of the guns from Tess, Carver pointed it at the injured man, watching as Lee fought to keep Sarah from running to his aid, feeling the panic set in as he looked around for help. Staring up at him, the young teen was given a stern look from the adult to try and get her to keep quiet, unsure on what Carver would do to her if he found out.

After a moment of silence, and it becoming clear that no one would still talk, he sighed, lowering his gun slightly. Lee thought for those few seconds before speaking, deciding that if someone was going to pay for this plan, it had to be him. However, before he could even open his mouth, the gun was raised once more, and the leader coldly finished his rant. "The rules have to be followed."

A bang rang through the air. Echoing, it was quickly followed by Ellie's heartbroken screams. "NO!"

Lee was paralyzed. His eyes stared at the bleeding corpse of Alex, a bullet wound bleeding profusely from his chest, pooling underneath his body as he just laid there. He couldn't turn away, and spotted Ellie breaking free from the guard's grip as she ran to her brother's corpse, kneeling down beside him as she shook him. "Why? Why would you do this?!"

"This is just the beginning. Things will get worse until someone gives me what I want!" Carver addressed the group, looking around. Sarah started to panic more, her breathing quickening as she tried to calm herself, sweat rolling down the side of her forehead as she dropped the blood stained fabric she kept pressed to it. Lee knew that she would eventually crack, and tried his best to calm her when Carver snapped, looking at Omid and Christa and how the woman defensively held him close to her. "Grab the pregnant bitch's boyfriend."

"No! Pleas-!"

"It was me!" Sarah screamed, catching everyone's attention and freeing herself from Lee's grip, falling forwards before catching herself. Standing on her feet, she ran up to Carver, tears streaming down her face as she confessed. "It was me. I took the medicine. Please, don't do this."

Carver's hand stilled, his eyes piercing into Sarah's as she couldn't hold his gaze anymore, staring at the floor with her hand slowly pointing to the opened back of the van. "In a bag, it's tied to the gurney. The medicine is in there."

Gesturing to one of the guards, he stood there whilst they went off and retrieved the stolen goods. The group just stood there in shock, all of them staring at the young teen who could barely move her eyes from the floor, her hand holding onto her upper arm whilst the leader just placed his free hand on her shoulder, his gun still pointing to the injured Alex. With a softer tone, he praised her. "Well done, Sarah. It takes courage to own up to what you done, to be honest."

The last bit felt like it was directed to Lee, his eyes narrowing as he was powerless for what Carver said next. "Your friends should take a lesson from you in honesty. They have been very bad as of late."

"What do you mean?" she asked, wary of him as she backed away. "I don't understand."

"They've lied to you, ever since they met you actually, and Lee over there," he paused, turning Sarah around so she was staring at a distraught Lee. "Well, let's say he's been the main culprit."

"If this is about the escape, I don't care, I just wanted to find my dad! I swear, I'm sorry for stealing the medicine!" she tried to apologize, shaking uncontrollably as his grip on her shoulder tightened.

"It's convenient that Carlos is out there, just waiting for you, right Lee?" Carver mocked, smirking as Lee shook his head, anger flashing over his face.

"Carver, don't!" Lilly tried to snap, her voice weak yet stern.

Lee was unable to move as he just turned to Sarah. "Don't listen to a word he says Sarah. He just wants to turn you against the group, he can't be trusted!"

"I can't be trusted?! After all the lies you fed her, giving her false hope?! I told you to behave yourself otherwise there'd be trouble, and now it's too late to turn back." With that, the leader straightened, and released his grip on the young Sarah, his voice cold as he finally revealed. "Your father isn't coming back, Sarah."

She froze, her face stuck on confusion whilst she tried to figure out what he meant by that. Moving back slowly, she slowly came to realisation as Carver pressed on. "Carlos was attacked and he told you to run. Before he could find you again, he perished, and Lee knew it all along."

"Lee?" she called out, staring straight at him as she pressed. "Is this true?"

He tried to find the words, wanting to deny it all and try to keep her protected, but it was too late. Carver revealed it all, and he could only hang his head in shame as he finally confessed. "I did it to protect you!"

"I-I thought I could trust you!" she yelled, her hands balling into fists as tears resumed falling down her face, her breathing heavy as the gravity of the truth finally hit her. "Daddy… No. No, no, NO!"

Her hands moved to the sides of her head and she broke down, bursting into violent sobs as she shook her head, moving away from Nick before the man could go and comfort her. Lee tried to stand, to move towards her and help her through this, but the look of utter betrayal made him stop in his tracks. Sarah stood there, staring at him with a broken face before she just ran, rushing towards the ajar gates and slipping through, ignoring Lee's or the other's yells for her to come back, one guard holding Nick back as he tried to go after her, calling out her name, Tess holding Lee at gunpoint in case he tried to do the same. Carver watched this all, smug about what he had just done. He listened as one of the guards and the wall called out. "I have her in sight! Do I shoot her?"

"No." he rejected, staring at Lee as he continued. "Don't waste your bullets. She'll be dead a day out there, anyway."

Despair washed over him, his face broken as he just gave up, standing there as Carver continued to address them. "Now, this is what's gonna happen. You people will be worked harder than you've ever had in your lives, and don't think you'll get the same meals like before! That ship has sailed. Lilly, Kristina and Ellie, all of you will be tossed into the Pen with the rest of them, as punishment for breaking our trust."

The guards started corralling the group back towards the main building, some of the people going to push the van out of the way to get the gate fixed, and Lee only listened as Carver ordered Tess. "Get Nathaniel. Have him fix the gate by the morning to stop anyone from sneaking in or out."

"Will do, Bill." With that, she left the scene, walking to the back of the compound to enter through the loading bay, most likely to grab Nathan and close the shutters again. Lee watched her leave, before he was pushed by the guard behind him violently, silently told to keep moving. As they got closer, he heard Carver finish his orders.

"Your punishments will start tomorrow."

Carver was not lying. When the group was taken back to the Pen, it was only hours before sunrise came, the sky bathed in greens, yellows and blues. The group were distraught, most of them sitting around pitying themselves over the situation, whilst Ellie just moved away and laid down on one of the beds, her back to the rest of the group as she mourned her brother, Walter sitting next to her as he consoled her. Lee on the other hand, ignored his friends, Lilly, everyone, and stood by the fence that showed the rest of the world outside. Any sight of Sarah was gone, and he felt his heart tighten at the thought of having lost her too. No matter what he did, he was just a failure.

When the guards came back for them, they were given scraps, pieces of leftover bread and cold stew from last night, the carrots and such having dissolved to form a uniform brown soup. Once they had eaten, they were all taken to different places, and Lee, along with Omid, were stuck with Tess. He paid little attention to the jabs and insults she hurled at him, unable to feel any lower than he did at that moment, and his interest only perked up when he noticed he was being taken to the gate. Confused, he stood there, watching as Tess, holding a couple of large axes, her rifle taped to her back, was conversing with one of the gate guards. Glancing at it, he saw that the van had been pushed to the far end of the wall, no doubt unable to be pushed further without the wheels, and the gate was quickly mended as best as it could, a large dent in the metal framework shaped like the crashed vehicle.

All eyes were on him, the guards up on the wall watching him like hawks, and he couldn't slink away from them as he was forced outside. Pushed, he was forced to keep walking as Tess snapped. "Come on, asshole."

"Where are we going?" he asked, nervousness settling in his stomach as he continued walking. Tess ignored his question, instead leading him to a forested area to the side of the compound, the giant wall separating them from the people inside. Unsure, an axe was forced in his hands, and Omid was given one as well.

"What are we meant to be doing here?" Omid asked, glancing around as he pointed out. "This place isn't exactly the safest."

"That's the point. You two will start clearing out the forest here to make more room for the greenhouse. Bill's letting more people into the compound to make up losses, and that means more food." She explained, leaning against the wall as she snapped. "So get chopping."

It was not safe out there. Lee could have sworn he heard walkers growling in the background, glancing around nervously as he was forced to begin chopping a large tree, making sure he didn't chop the trunk in a way that it would fall on the wall. Omid helped him, and after a while the first tree was tumbling down, the sound echoing through the forest. Glancing back, he noticed Tess' bored expression as she yawned, not even bothering to watch out for walkers, but she kept one eye trained on the two survivors, ehr rifle ready to shoot if they even attempted to run.

"Are you alright, man?" Omid muttered, keeping his voice low to avoid incurring the guard's wrath. "About last night… I'm sorry about Sarah."

"She could be in trouble, or dead, and it's all my fault. I failed her." Lee confessed, carrying work on another tree. Omid seemed sympathetic, offering a trying smile in hope that it would help his friend, but they both knew about their situation. It would only get worse. Looking off into a direction, he noticed walkers shuffling in the distance, moving straight for them because of the noise. With a saddened expression, he prepared himself for a fight, and couldn't help but fear for the young girl lost out there in the world, no one there to help her.

 _Sarah, I'm sorry._


	26. One Month Later

Weeks had passed since their failed attempt and the punishment was going strong. Whilst Omid and Lee were forced outside the walls to work on clearance, Lilly was put outside as well after a week, having been checked on her injuries from the crash by Jack. The day after the escape, Nick was put with Omid and Lee late, after being treated by Jack for injuries to his arms and hands, though the circumstances of those injuries remained unknown to anyone save the doctor. With those four outside, Ellie was returned to her old job in the paddock, although it must have been lonely out there without Alex helping her and keeping her company. Pity sat in his stomach, and he knew that the others weren't faring any better either.

Kristina, because of her amputated leg and injuries, was not able to be put outside with the rest of them, and instead was forced to work in the engineering with Nathan, helping him repair the van that the group had destroyed. Walter was shoved with Gabriel, mostly because he was older than everyone else and Carver was sure he would drop dead before doing any physical work. It was unfair. Walter was just as hardworking as the rest of them, but working in the kitchens would at least keep him safe from the walkers that were shuffling around in the undergrowth a distance from the group.

The exhaustion combined with the hunger seemed to have drained any fight from Lee, and he could see that everyone else was feeling the same, all of them trudging through the snow with fallen faces. The pen was no better for them. Over the weeks, it had been reinforced to prevent them desperately squeezing through the bars or climbing them, and the shutters were given a padlock that only Carver had the key to. It meant more hassle for the guards to locate it, but it also meant that the group couldn't convince anyone else to let them go. No one seemed to want to either, remembering Dwight's smeared body on the concrete. Without the ex-guards to help, trapped in the same place, they all were screwed without outside help.

Luke, who Lee didn't trust in ever since he met him, seemed to have been working hard to develop that trust. Seeing his determination, especially after all the shit they have been through, Lee could see a better friendship between them after a rocky start. The young man came into the Pen after being treated for his injuries, and he looked like death. Still, he believed that Carver wanted to trust Luke, he was his son after all, and allowed Luke to work with Oliver in the school upstairs. Jealousy twisted in his gut.

Instead, Joel, who replaced Tess for the day, watched them work hard, staring angrily at the ground as he fiddled with his rifle. The work was proving too much for even four people, and Lee breathed heavily, his lungs feeling heavy as he gulped in huge breaths. Glancing at his axe, he looked back at the huge trunk and something clicked, moving along the trunk whilst the others watched him in confusion. Without a word, he began chopping the trunk at set intervals, marking the rough bark to keep record of where he was.

With each set mark, he turned to the others and explained. "The tree is too big for even all of us to move, not in our current condition, so why not chop it up into smaller chunks to spread across all of us? We can move each chunk by ourselves, and clear up the trees faster than if we all tried tackling one big trunk."

"That's genius, Lee." Omid smiled, eager to have his workload made easier with the initiative idea, and moved to begin chopping the tree on the mark. Lee carried on with another one, whilst the others followed their leads and began chopping the tree into smaller chunks. When the first one was done, they used discarded rope to tie up the chunks, pulling them to roll the tree parts to the designated spot where the wood would be dumped. Slowly, the pile grew, and the group moved on to the next fallen tree.

No one wanted to talk about Sarah. Nick appeared depressed whenever she was brought up, and Lee knew that Christa and Omid treaded on eggshells around him. He already lost one child, and he's messed up caring for another one. In fact, over the weeks, no one seemed to even think of bringing her up, but her name was spoken as whispers all around the community; and unlike the harsh words for the group, most were scared for her safety, others giving up hope that she was even alive. With the thought of her intruding his mind, he pushed it back, unwilling to break with work to do, and he carried on chopping.

Whilst they got to work chopping up the trees that they had chopped down, Lee glanced over at the tired guard and tried to strike a conversation. "I thought it was Tess that was watching us today."

"She was sent out scouting this morning to find new survivors to bring here. Hopefully, she'll behave enough that they would actually want to go with her." Joel grumbled, leaning against the wall as he looked over the small area that had been cleared, noting the tree stumps removing. "When you finish with the trees, start on the stumps. We ain't got much daylight so I'd hurry about it."

The annoyed tone in his voice caused Lee to quieten, wondering how many bridges the group had burned with the people in the community. Whilst Joel was angered with their plan, as they were stealing medicine from an already depleted supply, some of the other guards were sympathetic for Alex and Dwight's deaths, feeling like it was hard for Kristina and Ellie, but also served as a warning that it was pointless to try and run. Lee feared that their failure not only hurt the group, but stopped anyone else from standing up to their leader. Even Jack was saddened by Alex's death, mostly from his position as the doctor, but he was relieved that Lee didn't rat on him when they got caught.

Over the weeks, the people glared at them, and Christa revealed how many gave her backhanded comments due to Carver giving her allowance because of her pregnancy, moving her from the group into another room inside the building with the onset of winter finally arriving, mostly due to Jack pestering him. She was allowed food that the rest of the community were given, and she remained in the greenhouse, working with Beth and Frank and Omid was thankful for that.

Whilst the labour caused his hands to redden and become painful, the weather wasn't terrible, though the fresh snow crunched under their feet that had fallen during the time. Lee cursed quietly as he nearly slipped, holding onto Omid as his foot hit a small puddle of ice, the smaller man grunting as the weight collided into him. Luckily, they righted themselves, and both continued work as Lilly tied the ropes to the chopped trunks in order to pull them. Holding one end, she passed it to Nick, quietly muttering to him. "Be careful, we don't want you hurting yourself further."

"I could say the same about you," he pointed out, referencing her injuries. "I thought you would be given more time considering your bruised ribs."

"If Alex wasn't given enough time to recover, what made you think I would?" she sighed, before she tried to deflect the worries. "Honestly, I'm fine. If anything, I think I got off lucky..."

With a fallen expression, she carried on work whilst Lee frowned deeply, recalling the incident in perfect clarity. The sight of the blood staining the ground, the screaming and crying, the smug look on Carver's face as he knew he won the battle. It all echoed in his head, and he would give anything to make it all stop. He was unable to sleep, to eat properly, it was just like those first few weeks after Clementine died. If this kept going on, Lee didn't know how long he could handle it for. It was driving him insane. Regardless, he kept working in hopes that it would push those intrusive thoughts out of his head, and he used the rope to pull the heavy chunks, his feet struggling to find a foothold in the fresh snow.

His breath clouded in front of his face as he exhaled. The temperature was definitely dropping, even with the sun rising through the wide mass of trees that made up the forest around them, the light illuminating the community behind them, and gave light to the dark undergrowth that had walkers shuffling in the distance. The ones that were killed over the weeks that Lee and his small group were working outside were piled up, being burned to prevent diseases from spreading from the rotting flesh, the pile of fresh walkers from that morning lying lifeless; milky eyes staring up at the sky. Staring at them, he could hear the groans and growls from the newly arrived walkers ready to feed, sighing under his breath at the thought of spending another day fighting for his life.

Turning around, he noticed that only a few walkers were coming towards them, most likely due to the noise from the falling trees ceasing whilst they finish with the area. Still, it was dangerous to constantly fight them and work, and Carver was not pleased with the progress they were making, causing his teeth to grit in anger at the thought of the bastard sitting in his office whilst they were risking their lives for a community they wanted to leave. With his axe in hand, he moved towards the walkers with Nick whilst Omid and Lilly stayed back, getting on with the work so that they could make some progress that day.

"I got your back." Nick comforted, holding his axe tightly as the walkers split to chase the different targets. Moving back, Lee raised his axe high above his head, waiting for the walker to come close before bringing it down hard, cracking through the top of the monster's skull and causing blood to splatter onto his already dirty jacket, the zipper pulled all the way to try and fight the oncoming cold. The walker fell down with the axe blade still embedded in its head, causing Lee to stumble with it from weakness.

Grunting, his head turned to the approaching walker, pulling his axe with all his strength, and spinning it around so that it connected with the side of the walker's neck, completely severing its head from its body, the head rolling along the ground before it came to a complete stop. With it weakly growling on the floor, its body falling with a dull thud without the brain to control it, the head was powerless as Lee stomped on it, causing the noises to cease as he attempted to wipe the blood from his shoe. The smell of the rotting flesh knocked him a disgusted groan, he turned around to see Nick having dispatched the walkers after him, his face relieved that Lee managed alright on his own.

"We better put these on the pile." He pointed out, before adding with an exhausted sigh. "I don't know how long I can keep doing this, Lee. Between the fighting every day and the lack of food, I'm ready to collapse."

"We'll get through this, Nick. We got to." Lee tried to motivate, but he understood the younger man's worries. He could feel the strength leaving him every day from poor food and overworked conditions, and he was worried what would happen if one day, he was unable to get up anymore.

Nick could only manage a weak smile, before he placed his axe on a stump and grabbed one arm of each walker, pulling them both towards the small pile ready for burning. Lee copied, grabbing the arms and tugging them, grunting with each pull as the weight proved harder than he thought, his stomach growling loudly as it begged for food. Pausing, he glanced out into the distance, wondering if Sarah was running into the same problem as they were, no food or water and running out of energy to keep going. He was worried, even moreso when his nightmares grew more frequent. Shaking his head, he carried on dragging the dead weights, stopping when he reached the pile and throwing the corpses on.

The exhaustion hit him, and he could only let out a loud exhale as his hands held onto his knees, Lee bent over tired whilst he tried to catch his breath back. From behind him, he listened as Lilly and Omid continued to drag the logs along the ground, the snow gathering in front of it and slowing it down, causing them to have to pull the rope harder. Quickly, he heard Lilly yell in pain, straightening himself and turning in time to see her stumbling backwards, her arm pressed against her chest as her face contorted in pain. Nick was by her side, letting her sit down on the stump as he started to address Joel. "She's in no shape to be out here! Look at her!"

"I can't break the rules for you guys, not anymore. I-I'm sorry." By the concerned look on his face, Lee could see that Joel wasn't being strict with them because he was angry with them, and he couldn't bring himself to hate the man for it. Instead, he grabbed the rope that Lilly had dropped and continued to pull the log to the pile.

As he was pulling it, he listened as Lilly tried to stop him. "Lee, it's fine. Just give me a minute."

"In our group, we look after our injured." He brushed off, snapping the sentence at Joel, feeling the want to lash out and rebel building up in him. People have died, Sarah was gone, and those that remained were being treated like garbage. He would not stop fighting against it until he was dead, feeling that he owed his group to try and save them. Nearing the pile, he undid the ropes and shuffled with it, the log rolling awkwardly on the ground, before pushing it onto its side in the pile, seeing it growing and growing.

In a way, he was proud of their work, and wondered if they would ever be realised by the community. Behind him, he could hear a sharp intake of breath, and Nick's voice quietly talking, panic laced in the words as he worried if the woman was going to become worse at any second. "I'm sorry, is it painful here?"

"More now that you're poking it. Just leave it, I'll be better after a break." Lilly snapped, a small pause occurring between everyone before she softly continued. "I'm sorry. I know you're only trying to help."

"It's nothing, but I don't think you can get much longer without someone coming along and spotting us. Joel is already getting into trouble letting this." He pointed out, helping her stand up before she finally nudged him away, straightening herself out on her own. It was a facade. She tried desperately to not let anyone see how much everyone was dragging her down, but Lee saw it happening before. She had the same look in her eyes; tired, downtrodden, it was almost like she was ready to give up and snap, just like before.

He didn't want to make things worse by getting strict on her, but after what she did the last time she snapped, all Lee wanted to do was make sure people were safe and Lilly didn't do anything she would regret. He would have to keep an eye on her. For now, he and Omid carried on with his work, and the other two finally got up to continue the tasks they had. It wasn't long before more of the undead stumbled onto the scene, drawn in by the sound of metal axes hitting the rough bark of the tree, the sounds only small but enough to catch the attention of the nearby corpses.

"Does this shit ever stop?!" Nick cursed, moving to Lee's side to get ready to clear them out, only for his face to drop when more appeared than he thought. "Jesus fucking Christ, look at them all. Why are there so many in this part of the forest, we aren't even close to the highway!"

"They could be coming from Parker's run, couple of miles up north from here." Lilly pointed out, stopping in her job as well as she saw the number of walkers trudging towards them. There had to be close to thirty of them, and there was no way they would be able to fight off all of them by themselves.

Turning to Joel, Lee's voice was urgent as he begged. "Joel, we can't keep going like this! We gotta go back inside or you gotta help us!"

Unsure, Joel moved his gaze from Lee to the walkers that were closing in on them, his face fallen when the gravity of the situation finally hit him. Raising his gun, he nodded at Lee as he obeyed. "Okay, I'll help…"

Grateful, Lee turned back to the walkers, his axe held tightly, and he saw everyone else readying themselves to fight. Few of the walkers closest to them were picked off by Joel's suppressed rifle, the sound of the gunshot quieter to avoid drawing anymore in, and he continued to pick stragglers off whilst the others dealt with the main group. Lee raised his axe high, watching a decaying corpse of a woman shambling towards him, her once blond hair all but fallen out, revealing a chunk of her head missing exposing the skull. She growled harshly, desperate for food, and her sounds quickly died out when Lee's axe embedded itself in the front of her skull, the blade piercing through the forehead and destroying the brain.

Pulling it out, he allowed the body to fall to the ground with a muffled thud, the snow stained a disgusting brownish red colour from the congealed blood. The others around him were faring just as well, Omid stopping a walker from getting too close to Lee by hitting it in the neck with his axe, causing it to fall over. Still not dead however, it weakly tried to get up, and was stopped when Lee threw his axe into its head with the strength he could muster. Blood and brain matter oozed out of the hole in its head, and he winced in disgust as more of its group descended down on them.

Nick and Lilly were standing close to each other, making sure that they had the others back, and the walkers were slowly reduced to corpses littering the ground, the smell proving too much for Nick as he finally vomited, the others moving towards him to make sure he was alright. By his side, Omid asked him. "You alright, man?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just…. You never get used to that smell." He explained, staring down at the range of bodies on the snow-covered forest floor. "We better get these moved. Don't want anyone tripping over them."

"Joel," Lilly continued, turning towards the guard with a faint smile. "Thank you for helping us."

"What gentlemen would I be if I let a pretty lady get eaten?" he snarked in a deadpan voice, rubbing the back of his neck as he added. "Anyway, I hope Carver doesn't realise…"

"What, that he's an asshole?" Nick snapped, bitter towards their leader. Joel let out a short laugh to that, before composing himself again and returned to his spot leaning against the wall, watching as Lee and the others went on to pull the bodies to the pile. Whilst dragging one of the ones that he killed, he stared down at the frozen face, wondering if any were once people who lived here, or if anyone knew them. The walkers could have come from towns and cities along the highway, and wandered down here. He couldn't help but think of the lives they had before all this started, and he realised just how easy it was to forget that they were once humans themselves. Living, breathing, and could once feel.

Remembering Macon, all those corpses on the streets, and he couldn't stop the pictures of his brother's body trapped under a fallen lamppost, his neck torn open from the blows he gave him with the axe he found. His parents could still have been walking around those streets whilst he was standing there, staring at the dead body, and he hoped that it was the opposite. He hoped that they were resting in peace, just like Bud.

"Lee… are you okay?" a soft voice called out, causing him to snap out of his thoughts and notice that whilst he was thinking, he was just standing there staring at the body. Turning his head, he saw Lilly standing there, a worried expression on her face.

"I was just thinking of Macon." He admitted, continuing to drag the body. "Just looking at these bodies. It makes me wonder if my parents are still there, wandering the streets."

"Your parents were in Macon? Well, did you see them during your runs with Kenny?" she asked, hopeful that at least someone from Lee's past could still be alive.

Lee didn't reply. Instead, he grunted as he lifted the body, throwing it on the pile before moving to grab the next one. Slowly, he confessed. "The drug store we held up in those first few days, you remember it?"

"Yeah… what about it?" Lilly asked, her voice slow as she started to distrust where the conversation was going. He could tell that she was piecing the bits together, Lilly was not stupid, and he decided to give her the final piece to make her see.

"It was my parent's drug store. The bodies your dad hauled out, that was them." That was when Lilly's face fell, and her eyes casted downwards as Lee finished his sentence. It still pained him to remember them, they didn't depart on the best of terms, and that would always be one of his biggest regrets.

After a long pause, he listened as she apologized. "I didn't know. I mean, I could guess it bothered you when I told you back then, but I took your word for it. I just thought they were close friends to you. I'm sorry, Lee."

"Well, they're gone. I wish things were different, but at least I know they aren't suffering. The same can be said for Larry." He watched as she sadly nodded, adding with a soft tone. "He was an asshole, but I know that he loved you more than anything else."

"Yeah, I know." With that, she walked away from him, grabbing another corpse and carrying on with dragging them. His friends working around him, Lee glanced through the thick foliage and trees, trying to think of a way to help them do their jobs without walkers appearing every five minutes because of the noise. That's when it hit him. Noise. Walkers couldn't see very well, so they had to rely on their sense of smell and hearing.

His mind was focused on that piece of information, and he knew that once he was back in the Pen tonight, he would relay what he thought of back to the group, hopefully they would be able to build it up. Until then, he continued with his work, cutting the trees into smaller parts, and went on to begin removing the stumps when the trees from that area were all ready for use. By the time the sun was setting once more, the group was exhausted, Lee feeling like he could lie down and sleep through the rest of the winter. The sky grew cloudy over the day, and fresh snow was falling down in small balls of whiteness, covering the footsteps and the blood splatters from their work as if they were never there, and the temperature dropped significantly.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, Lee shivered as they walked down the trail to the main entrance, glancing around at the guards that were keeping watch on the gates, their eyes trained on the group. Staring straight ahead again, he ignored how the mall loomed over them, an imposing air about it that he didn't know before, and he could have sworn that he saw someone looking down at them from the first floor windows. Looking up, he saw no one. None of his group made a comment on it, instead walking through the snow as they tried to stop the cold from biting at them, Nick faring the worst as his thin sleeves offered little protection from the frost.

Finally, they entered the main building, everyone visibly relieved to be out of the cold, but Lee didn't give any thought to it when he spotted Beth making a beeline straight for them. Staring at her, he said nothing as she stared at Omid, a sweet smile on her face as she cheerfully explained. "Christa asked me to give this to you."

Handing out a note, Joel immediately snapped at her whilst Omid took it, looking over what it said as he chided her. "You know it's gonna look wrong to the others if we're passing notes to this group, what are you thinking?!"

"It's a note from a pregnant lady to her boyfriend, it;'s hardly gonna be a detailed escape plan with map included." Beth brushed off, an annoyed look on her face as she carried on. "Jesus Christ, Joel, where's your sympathy?"

"It went when they stole medicine. Did you forget Kaiya needs that medicine, and every other goddamn person in our community because winter is here?! So don't give me that bullshit about sympathy when these guys never gave any for the people they were stealing from!" The sudden ferocity in his voice caught the others off guard, and Lee saw Nick growing angry with the accusations.

"You think we didn't care about the people when we stole those drugs?! We were trying to get away because that fucker in his office upstairs is responsible for my mom, Uncle Pete and all my friends' deaths!" he accused, not caring as more people gathered around when they heard the yelling. Lee looked around, knowing that something was going to go down if he didn't intervene and calm his friend down, and moved as Joel started to close the distance between him and Nick.

"So what, you act like that because you lost your family? I can give you at least twenty other people who have gone through the same thing, and they don't steal shit that others need!" he snapped, jabbing Nick in the chest as he added. "Maybe it's time you grow the fuck up, Nick, 'cause the world isn't gonna give a damn whether you're struggling or not!"

"Fuck you!" With that, Nick threw a punch at the guard, and at the same time Lee ran forward to stop it. Joel moved backwards quickly to avoid the blow, and instead the fist connected Lee's mouth, the force behind it snapping his head backwards as he stumbled backwards. His lip split from the blow, the feeling of blood flowing down his lips and dripping off his chin, some slipping into his mouth as he yelled, the horrible tang of copper on his tongue making him want to spit it out.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Nick!" Beth yelled, immediately by Lee's side as Lilly pulled Nick back, getting in between him and Joel to prevent any fighting, the former shocked from what he did. Checking his face, he could clearly see her lips pulled into a deep frown, her eyes narrowed at the sight as she looked behind her, her voice sharp as she snapped at him. "You fucking gave him a split lip!"

"Shit, man, I'm sorry!" Nick apologized, trying to get to Lee but was prevented by Lilly, who kept him back with a stern look.

"You've done enough." Turning to Beth and Lee, she quietly asked her. "Does he need to go see Jack?"

"No, it's just a small cut. Here." Pulling a rag from her pocket, she dabbed the cut, adding when she saw his wary look. "Don't worry, I grabbed this from my dresser in case I cut myself on the broken bucket handle again. It's clean."

Nodding, he allowed her to finish up cleaning his face, watching as she backed away with the rag stained in blood. With that, she turned to Joel and Nick, and tried to calm the situation down with the injured party taken cared of. "We can't change what we've done, guys, but I know that beating seven bells out of each other is not gonna help things around here. We're in a dilemma with medicine, so maybe it wasn't intelligent to steal it, but we gotta know that these people are just scared, like the rest of us."

A sigh followed her lecture, and she just shook her head with a defeated order. "Just get them to the Pen, Joel. Dinner's almost ready."

"Fine." He grumbled, gesturing for the group to continue walking. Lee followed after them, sparing a glance at Beth whilst he was walking away, seeing her standing there with a frustrated look on her face, before Frank walked up behind her and, with an arm around her shoulders, guided her away to go and get dinner. Looking back ahead, Lee watched as the shutters into the Pen came into view, guards standing in front of it with bored expression, obviously wanting to be anywhere but there.

Spotting the group coming towards them, their expressions changed, and they glared darkly at them whilst Joel paused, waiting as one of them moved to the shutters, opening it up silently and kept it up as he nodded for the group to enter. Slowly, they did one by one, none of them even looking at the guard as they trudged inside, except for Lee. Staring him down, he watched as Joel's fierce resolve faltered slightly as he saw the injuries on his face, a little trickle of blood dripping down. After a moment, he just sighed. "Come on, Lee. Don't make this any harder than it is."

Without a word, Lee obeyed, and walked into the Pen whilst Joel closed it again, the sound of him locking it echoing through the open space. Breathing in, Lee closed his eyes, letting go of his breath, and yet it did nothing to calm his twisting stomach. He was starving. Everyone was. Staring up at the reinforced fence, he wondered if there was any chance of scaling it and just running, before he spotted the barbed wire at the top, the small spikes warding off any attempts. Ignoring it, his gaze shifted over when he heard laughing, spotting Ellie and Walter reading by the campfire whilst Luke sat back in his chair, an arm draped over his abdomen as he listened with a smile.

He didn't know what book they were reading, but it seemed to have everyone in good spirits. Omid sat down beside Ellie, joining in when they read the lines in silly voices, and it caused Nick and Luke to laugh loudly whilst Lilly smiled, a short chuckle coming from her. Standing there, he couldn't help but smile warmly at the group getting on with each other, until he noticed someone was missing from the group. His eyes scanned the area, and he spotted Kristina lounging on one of the shelves, staring at something in her hands that was blocked from his view. Glancing at the group one more time, he walked slowly over to the lonely woman.

She didn't notice him even when he reached her side, instead staring at what was a box with a note attached to it. Confused, he stood there as she finally addressed his presence. "This was found on Dwight's body. One of the guards, she… she found it on him and gave it to me, seeing no point in Carver taking it."

Turning it around in her hand, she lifted the note and began to read it. " _Kristina, cara mia, ti amo_ _più di ogni altra cosa al mondo_ _, mi vuoi sposarmi?_ "

"Wow, what does it mean?" he asked, not understanding the language.

"'Will you marry me?'" She explained, her shoulders slumped and her eyes almost unfocused, almost like she was staring a long distance into the piece of paper. Her lips pressed together in a thin line, her breathing deep as she tried to calm herself down, before letting go of the note as she sighed deeply. "Dwight didn't know Italian before he met me, but he wanted to learn. Made it easier to talk to my father, he said. I guess… he finally wanted to be together properly when we escaped. Oh, Dwight."

She brought the box to her lips, giving it a short kiss as she whispered into it. " _Riposa in pace, mi amore._ "

Lee felt pity for the young woman, placing his hand on her shoulder and offering her a weak smile when she looked up at him, unsure on what else to say to comfort her. Glancing down at the box again, she moved a stray hair from the front of her face, keeping it behind her ear, and he knew that he had to help her think of something else, at least for now to keep her from getting too down.

"I take it your family came from Italy?" he asked, wanting to bring her thoughts from her boyfriend. "Did you grow up there?"

"No, my father came to America in the 50s. He met my mother there, and he had me along with my two brothers." She explained, a soft smile on her face as she gazed into the distance. "I only visited Italy to see my grandparents and family. Once, I brought Dwight with me, and my grandmother had him in her clutches for the whole trip. We even had to sleep in different beds."

She laughed at Lee's confused expression. "Come on, Lee. You gotta know how religious Italian families are. Grandmother wanted us to tie the knot before we did anything. I guess she'd have a heart attack if she saw us whilst we were here."

"That's too much information, but she sounds just like my grandmother." Lee reminisced, chuckling deeply as he explained further. "She was a big woman, and very religious herself. Her and my wife never saw eye to eye."

"You were married?" Kristina asked, curious about his past. "Was it nice?"

"Yeah, it was, but we haven't talked for a while, even before all this start. I don't know if she's even still alive." He felt sadness at the thought, wondering where his wife was.

Kristina watched him with a sympathetic look, before her head turned to the sudden sound of the shutters opening, Lee following her movement as he saw Gabriel coming through with a trolley, Joel and another two guards coming in with their guns ready. Slowly, he stood up, seeing if Kristina needed help with obvious discomfort on her face. Raising her hand to stop him, he backed away instead, walking over with the rest of the group to get their dinner, his stomach growling in want. Reaching the trolley, they all waited in silence as Gabriel grabbed the plates that were sitting on top, passing them out to everyone with a grim look on his face, obviously not wanting to be there anymore than they did.

Nick grabbed the first plate and quickly began to demolish the food on it, the others taking theirs whilst Lee just stood there, finally grabbing his own as he stared down at the food. It wasn't much, just a piece of bread and a cup of water that was given to wash it down. His stomach growled louder in response, not caring what it was as long as it stopped the painful twisting in his gut. Picking up the bread, he bit into it, wincing as it felt as hard as rocks.

"I'm sorry about this, guys." Gabriel apologized, glancing down at his trolley as he added. "There wasn't much else to give you tonight."

"Don't apologize to them, Gabe." One of the guards ordered, glaring at the group as she snapped. "They deserve what they get."

The other guard seemed to not think the same way as his companion, sharing a look with Joel, the latter just ignoring it and waited for Gabriel to finish his round. No one answered the accusation. Instead, Lee just continued to eat, trying his best to stop his blood from boiling at the harsh words. His eyes shifted to the rest of his group; spotting Ellie staring down at the floor, her hand crunching the plastic cup that was empty, and he knew that she was ready to explode. Gabriel saw this as well, taking the cup away from her, and gestured for everyone else to do so. Quickly, they did and he exited the Pen, eager to escape the tense situation with the guards following after him.

Standing there, Joel just gave them a look before closing the shutters once more. Left alone, the group decided to get ready for the night; Nick rubbing the back of his head as he yawned, with Luke beside him whispering words that Lee couldn't make out, whilst Walter glanced at Ellie sympathetically, before he too retired for the night, bidding goodnight to Lilly and Omid as they were already in their beds. Kristina stood by Ellie, moving to place a hand on her shoulder only for it to be shook off violently, the younger of the two just staring at the former guard with a defeated look. Shaking her head, Ellie walked away to go to bed, leaving Kristina standing there as she addressed Lee. "She's losing it, Lee. After Alex dying, and everyone turning against us, I don't think it's gonna end well."

"I know, but what can we do to help her? We aren't in the best position ourselves." He pointed out, feeling helpless to do anything for his friends.

Folding her arms, Kristina thought for a moment before humming. "I don't know. For now, we better get some sleep. See you in the morning."

Watching her go back to her bed, Lee frowned deeply, his voice quiet as he replied. "Night, Kristina."


	27. Kindly Wait For Me

The next morning, Lee was roused by hands shaking him awake, his eyes opening slowly as he groggily sat up, a yawn the only response he had whilst he was looking for the culprit for waking him. Thinking it was Kristina or Lilly getting him ready for another day of hard labour, he rubbed his eyes to clear his vision and get rid of the sleep caked in the corners, his hand rubbing down to get rid of some saliva from his sleep. Coughing, he looked again and realized that it wasn't the women waking him, nor was it Omid or Nick, it was Luke.

"We got problems." He warned bluntly, glancing over his shoulder to the shutters, the rest of the group gathering there whilst Lee removed his blanket, shivering violently as he stood up. It was freezing, and glancing through the fence into the open world, he could see that snow was still falling.

"What's wrong?" he asked, rubbing his arms through his jacket whilst Luke just stared off at the shutters, a worried expression on his face as Lee pressed further. "Luke?"

"The guards came in just now, and they told us that Carver wants to speak to me and you." he explained, turning back to Lee with a concerned tone to his voice. "I don't know what's gonna go down."

Glancing at the crowded group, he spotted Joel standing there, along with another female guard that he spotted a few times. She looked quite plain. Puffy brown jacket, shaggy black hair that was cut messily, and a concerned look on her face as the group grew more restless. Watching this, he listened as Luke added. "What are we gonna do?

"It'll be alright. We haven't done anything wrong since the escape," Lee tried to console, though he seemed unconvincing to the younger man. Truth was, he didn't know if he did anything wrong, since his active role in the attempted escape meant people were growing restless, looking to Carver to change how things were. They were running low on medicine, food was being rationed, and people were scared after all that's gone down since Lee and his group came there.

After a moment of silence, Luke frowned slightly, gesturing for Lee to follow him as he muttered. "I hope you're right."

Following after him, Lee stared ahead as tempers started to fray in the group, Ellie's voice being heard as she accused the guards. "Why should we give Luke and Lee over?! Who's to say that they'll even come back, like my brother?!"

"What happened to Alex was your own fault, Ellie. You guys chose to steal and escape, so Carver had to give punishments out to be fair, be thankful you're still alive." Joel sighed, his grip on his rifle tight as he added. "It's just how the world is now, kid."

"Fuck your punishments, and _fuck Carver!_ " she swore, glaring at the guard when the woman came forward, her eyes as cold as ice as she swore quietly.

"You ungrateful little bitch!" Ellie didn't see the slap coming down, her head snapping to the left from the blow and the sound rang through the air, everyone shocked with the action. Joel, angered by this, grabbed the guard by her shoulder and threw her behind him, his back to the group as he scolded her.

"Al, you fucking idiot," he started, keeping a close eye on the others. "Things are already tense around here, and you're going around slapping people!"

Lee was shocked. Staring at the stunned girl, he saw Lilly coming forward, standing by the teen's side as she just stood there, a hand on her shoulder whilst glaring at the guard being scolded. She didn't give any biting words however, it was too dangerous to keep antagonising everyone around them. Not when they had to live in the community.

"Don't tell me the little shit didn't deserve it!" The woman, known as Al, brushed off. Holding her cheek, Ellie just stood there, glaring daggers at the woman when Lee came beside her, his hand placed on her other shoulder gently, feeling her tense up for a moment. Glancing up, she was shocked whilst muttering. "...Lee?"

"It'll be alright. It's probably just a call up to his office, and then we can go back to work." He attempted to calm her, not sure if it was working when he saw Ellie frown, her glare directed back to Joel. Spotting Nick behind them, Lilly returning by his side, he quickly leaned over to them and whispered. "I had an idea to help with the walkers outside."

"What?" Nick asked, glancing at the guards as he added. "They're starting to get impatient, man, so I'd make this quick."

"Just find something that'll make a lot of noise and put it in another area, that'll draw the walkers away whilst you guys work." Lee explained quickly, before he is dragged by Luke, a desperate look on his face whilst the guards moved for the duo to leave the Pen. Al, who Lee recognized as the lady that found Lilly during the crash and kept antagonising Ellie, followed after them with Joel right behind her. Glancing back, Lee watched as his group watched them go, not knowing if that was the last time they'd see him, and Joel paused, turning around to address the group.

"You'll wait here for your breakfast, and then it's off to work. Those who are working on expansion will wait for me to return." With that, the rest of the guards exited the Pen and the shutters were closed, separating Luke and Lee from their friends. Standing there for a moment, they were then forced to walk to the staircase by the guards, Lee and Luke sharing a nervous look as they glanced at the looming steps.

Unsure, he turned to Joel, who was watching with a concerned expression himself, and asked slowly. "Any idea why Carver would want to see us?"

"Not a clue, but if it's involving him," he paused as he gestured to Luke, who just glared at the guard. "Chances are he's gonna get another chance. You, on the other hand, anything could happen."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." He replied dryly, starting to climb up the stairs when they finally reach the staircase. He wasn't in any rush to meet with their leader, trying to take the steps slowly if not for the guard behind him hurrying him up, pushing him softly with her weapon, receiving a cold stare from Lee before he sped up. His palms grew sweaty as he gripped the banister. His heart was beating incredibly fast, along with his hair standing on the back of his neck, and staring at Luke he could see that the nervousness was getting to him too.

Although he tried to keep a straight face, the bead of sweat rolling down his worn face gave away what he was feeling, his shoulders rising and falling as he breathed deeply in an attempt to calm himself. Looking away, Lee tried to copy his breathing techniques, desperate for anything to calm his nerves, only for him to growl at the futility of it. Nothing was gonna help them.

"This is fucked up. I don't even know what we did wrong." Luke snapped quietly, the situation finally getting to him as he muttered under his breath. "We're so fucked."

"Luke, no offense but can you shut the fuck up?" Lee scolded, not needing the younger man to start panicking on him right then. However, he understood where Luke was coming from, and he had to keep a clear head for the both of them.

Still staring at him, he saw the younger man frown deeply, giving Lee a glare to silently tell him that he didn't appreciate his choice of words. Regardless, his panicking was not going to help. Reaching the top of the stairs, Lee was pushed forward by the guards behind him, gritting his teeth to stop him lashing out in frustration, not appreciating being treated like a criminal. Again.

Glancing into the restaurant when laughter came from it, he spotted everyone inside enjoying their breakfast, some becoming silent when they spotted the two being pushed to Carver's office and began to whisper to each other, the words too quiet for Lee to listen in. Frowning deeply, he turned away, and saw Riley walking down the flight of stairs leading up to the top floor. Their eyes met, and he couldn't help but feel a shiver at how cold her eyes were, a scowl appearing on her face as she made a beeline straight for them. Joel saw this and, moving in front of Lee and Luke, intercepted her with a stern. "You should be inside the restaurant now, Riley."

"Get out of my fucking way." She warned, her voice low and cold as she directed her words at Lee and Luke. "I wanna talk to the fuckers that lost Sarah!"

"Sarah ran away of her own free will, no one forced her to go." Joel sighed, holding an arm out to keep the teen at bay. "You gotta learn to watch your mouth, as well, kid. Not all the guards will appreciate being talked to like that."

The words only seemed to ignite her fury further, and she sharply snapped at him. "Bullshit! If it wasn't for those two, she would still be here! Sh-She could be out there, starving, sick and alone and nobody's doing _anything_ about it!"

Lee swore that she directed the rant more to him than the two guards standing there, her eyes losing its sharp edge, and underneath shows a vulnerability. His gut twisted, knowing that he was the reason all this had happened, and was desperate to say anything to make her better. When he opened his mouth, her cold glare caused him to quieten down. She didn't want his words, all she wanted was Sarah. Honestly, he felt the same way.

"Or she could just be dead." Joel pointed out, though his face faltered a bit when Riley's anger caved in on itself, showing a desperate and grieving teen. "No one can survive out there on their own, not for a month, Riley. I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you differen-"

"None of you know her." She interrupted him, her voice became quiet, almost unsure, as she finished her rant. With that, she moved away from them, not even meeting Joel's gaze anymore, and Lee could see that his hard stare had grown soft. The young teen went inside the restaurant, moving quickly to a table whilst people inside stared at her, unsure what to do with the loud rant that happened just outside the open doors.

Walking again, Lee just stared at the floor with a sorrowful expression on his face, listening as Joel quietly swore. "You know, I'm not even mad at Riley, or you guys for that matter."

"Then who are you mad at?" he asked, turning his head around. "You seemed pretty mad at us last night."

"I'm sorry. It's just, with the medicine and the food, things are pretty tense, and it's not just your group Carver is cracking down on. Everyone is being inspected, along with their rooms, to see if we're hiding anything." Joel explained, following Lee and Luke as they neared Bill's office. "He caught Gabriel with a bottle of rum under his bed and just… went off on him. I mean, Gabriel. The dude is more harmless than a kitten, he wouldn't do nothing to harm anyone."

"All that for some alcohol?" Luke butted in, surprised with the news.

"Exactly. Bill's been cracking down hard. No alcohol, no cigarettes, I had to chuck my pack away when I was watching you guys yesterday." Joel revealed, turning to Al as he asked her. "You been getting searched, yet?"

"Yeah, my room got searched yesterday. Luckily, I already drank the small bottle of tequila I was saving." She smirked, her lips quickly pulling down in a faint frown as she turned to Lee. "Hey, I'm sorry, you know, about before."

"It's not me you gotta be apologizing to. It's Ellie." He brushed off, glaring at the female guard.

Al followed after them, a guilty look on her face as she confessed. "I know, I shouldn't have slapped her. It's just… It's been hard times. Whatever is going on, we're lucky to be alive, and I just saw red when she started mouthing off at me."

"Al has some anger issues. We've been trying to get her help, but everyone's on edge nowadays, after the escape and the execution and all that… It's just not easy right now." Joel tried to defend her, before he turned his head to her. "But yeah, you do gotta apologize to Ellie. What you did was out of line."

"I know, I know. I'll do it when we drop these two off at Bill's office." She accepted, falling silent as they finally reached the door. Pausing, Lee and Luke just glanced at each other, both of them visibly nervous about what was to come. Joel took in a deep breath and, whilst staring at Lee, opened the door, gesturing for them to enter.

Silently, they obeyed, walking into the office whilst Joel kept the door open, muttering to Lee. "Al'll wait out here for you guys. Once Bill is done with you, she'll take you both to where you need to be."

"Alright." And then, Joel closed the door. Inside the spacious office, he felt small, and he felt even smaller when he saw Carver sitting there in his large office chair, scribbling down notes with reports and papers scattered across the large oak desk. Moving by Luke's side, he snuck a look at the younger man, seeing him breathing heavily, unsure what to say. The guy must have felt terrified, especially from the treatment he got during their failed escape. Thinking back, Lee wondered exactly what happened in there, what Carver did to Luke before dragging him outside to see two of his group dead, and another one running away.

Luke was better at hiding what he felt, and Lee was envious of that. Slowly, his gaze moved from the young man to his father, and he kept his voice even as he called out. "You asked for us?"

"I did." Carver simply stated, gesturing for Lee and Luke to sit down in the chairs before his desk. With a frown, Lee obliged, moving over to the desk slowly, carefully, and sat down with a defiant look on his face. Luke was slower, but a look from Carver made him practically bolt for the chair, sitting down whilst staring at the papers on the desk.

The silence was suffocating, only the tapping sound coming with Carver tapping his pen against his desk, pausing as he and Lee held a stare, neither backing down. With a gravelled voice, he began to speak. "I suppose you two are wondering why I'm calling you up here. Well, I'll be frank. A storm is on its way here, and I ain't talking about some fucking spout of bad rain."

He stood up, the chair rumbling as it rolled away, and turned to the window, looking out on the community below. "There's a herd of lurkers coming up from the south. Our scouts had been tracking their movement for weeks, said they came from somewhere in Georgia, Savannah I think."

"So you called us up here so, what, we listen to your problems? Why don't you lie down on the couch, or better yet, we can all have one big crying session, get those emotions really flowing." Lee spat sarcastically, not caring when Carver turned back around, an ice cold glare coming from the leader.

"You think this is fucking funny?" he asked, watching as Lee just shrugged. "Well, there's something that I don't think you'll laugh at."

With that, his hand reached into a drawer in his desk, watched by Lee and Luke as the duo froze, uncomfortable with what was happening. Lee straightened out in his chair, trying to keep his nerve whilst his heart hammered in his chest, not knowing what Carver would pull out of there, his breath stopped when his hand came into view, throwing something onto the table. Confused, it took a few seconds to realise what they were. His mind flashed back to the last time he found them, under the counter in the gas station, the same crack in the lenses. Sarah's glasses.

The world stopped. Lee's eyes widened, and his mouth ran dry, his tongue, once sharp, laid there uselessly. He couldn't think anything through. Eventually, all crashed down in a giant heap, and his teeth gritted together, anger exploding out of him as he loudly demanded. "What did you do to her?!"

"Lee, don't!" Luke begged, standing up when Lee did so, his chair pushed backwards. Carver didn't flinch, and instead adopted an arrogant stance.

"I didn't do anything. A scout came back, injured I might add, with this." Carver repeated, a smug look on his face.

Picking up the pair of glasses, Lee just stared at them, frowning as he tried to process through this conversation. He didn't know what to do. He knew he wanted to escape this place, find Sarah, and just make sure she was alright, but remembering her face and the betrayal in her words, he knew that he was the last person she would want to see. With a defeated look, he just stared up at Bill. "Why are showing me this? Why am I here?"

"Because I believe in second chances. I mean, Luke here knows a lot about them, isn't that right? Chance after chance I give you, and why?" The question was directed at the younger man, Carver standing there with a waiting look.

Staring at the floor, Luke just quietly replied. "Because I'm your son?"

"Wrong, because you're useful, and this builds character. We need strong people to lead this community out of this dark times, and when I'm gone, people are gonna be looking to you to lead them on. It's not gonna be easy, and the little fuck ups you're so fond of making aren't helping."

Turning his attention back to the reports on the table, Carver began to address Lee once more, leaving his son to think over those words. "People here are scared, Lee. You know, your group comes here and then try to escape, it doesn't paint things as good now does it?"

"Maybe that has something to do with your leading?" Lee accused, his eyes sharp and narrow.

"Oh?" Carver looked up, grabbing the back of his chair and sitting back down, his face condescending as he amused the pair. "And what would you do, huh? Hug everyone and tell them that the world isn't gonna kill them if it has the chance?"

"I wouldn't murder an innocent father and throw his children in the Pen!" Lee yelled, standing quickly that his chair fell to the floor. Carver made no move to stand up, he didn't flinch, instead he just sat there, keeping his nerve as Luke got more anxious.

With a serious look, Carver began to defend himself. "I may have made a call with Jason and his kids, but it was the only way. He killed someone."

"It was self-defense! The guy pulled a knife on him, he already stabbed Joel and Kristina! What did you want him to do, just lie down and accept that he was gonna die! He had two kids that are gonna grow up without him or a mother!" Lee replied, angered by his lack of remorse.

"Ok, so you want me to spare someone because of their kids? That ain't how it works here. You know, the guy who Jason killed, he had people who cared about him? His two younger siblings, the youngest around, what, twelve? They're upset over his death. So, where's their justice? If I let Jason live, who is really the winner in that situation?" With a snort, Carver leaned back in his chair, his hands resting comfortably in his lap. "No matter what choices you make, someone always loses."

"So, you're not gonna take responsibility?" Lee asked.

"Oh, I take responsibility, and that's what separates me from you, Lee. You're weak, and not because you were injured, you're weak of character. Standing up to your mistakes, that's what a real man does, not sit there feeling sorry for yourself." The leader scolded, leaning forward as he smirked. "That's why I'm giving you and Luke the chance to change that, prove that you are strong men, ready to help this community. You bring back Sarah and I'll take some of your group out of the Pen. Give them a second chance."

"Some of them?" Luke piped up.

"I'll be honest with you, Luke. Some of them have to stay in the Pen. Ellie for one. She's been causing trouble for the past month, starting fights, sabotaging supplies." Carver explained.

Lee frowned at that, taking a sarcastic tone as he pointed out. "You did kill her brother."

"She stole medicine, and we are in the middle of a shortage. People would want my head if I didn't punish her, and Alex was a weak link."

"So, he had to go." Luke finished, shaking his head as he finally looked back up at his father, a broken expression on his face. "Why, dad? We wanted this place to be a haven for survivors, somewhere safe, and now it's change into this! What would Uncle George say abo-?"

"Don't you fucking say his name in this office." Carver warned, his voice dropping to a threatening growl. "The amount of times you fucked up, Luke, you're lucky you're still here."

Luke recoiled, as if he was struck, before he fell silent. Appalled by this, Lee watched with a shocked expression as the younger man mumbled. "Right. Sorry, sir."

"It's alright, we'll just chalk it up as a lesson learned. Now, you guys will be taken outside the walls, and whoever the fuck is waiting outside that door, Al or whatever, she'll be searching with you two for Sarah." the leader explained, picking up a piece of paper with a tired expression. "You know where Parker's Run is?"

"Yeah, it's the tourist trap a few miles north from here. Why?" Luke asked.

"'Cause that's where we think Sarah might be." The grip on Sarah's glasses tightened. "A scout group won't be too far from there, waiting for you three. They'll have useful information for the search, and you will bring her back if alive, or news that she is in fact dead. Hopefully, it'll calm the people here and we can put this whole mess behind us.

Just as Lee moved to leave, Carver added with a darker tone. "And if you even think of running away, your friends are gonna find out real quick that it's not a good idea."

The tyrant gestured for Lee and Luke to leave the room. As they were walking away, they listened as he added. "Don't mess this up."

"You can count on us, dad." Luke nodded, quickly following Lee as he just left the office, allowing the door to shut behind them. Standing there, he just frowned deeply, the words reeling through his head. Sarah might be alive. It was true, she was probably out there, now with people looking out for her. And all of a sinking feeling hit him, he wanted to go and find her, to say what needed to be said and allow them to move on, but that was if she was even alive. All they had were her glasses, and that was brought hours ago.

He wanted to believe, but doubt was growing in the back of his mind, something he couldn't shake off. It was hard, and his stubbornness pushed all the doubt further into his thoughts, scolding him for thinking that way. Deep inside, he wondered if there was a possibility that he would find her like he found Carlos, and nothing scared him more.

Al was standing there, waiting for them, as when she noticed that they had came out of the office she moved off the wall she was leaning on, an awkward smile on her face as she joked. "Meeting with the principle go alright?"

"Not funny, Al." Luke scolded, rubbing the side of his face before sighing. "Dad's sending us out."

"Out? As in, outside the walls?" she gasped, completely surprised with the reveal. "Man, I thought he was gonna slap you guys on the wrist for something. Why?"

"We're going up to Parker's Run, that's… where we'll be looking for Sarah." Luke continued to explain, keeping an eye as Lee just walked forward, his gaze lowered to the floor. After a few moments, he heard behind him. "Lee, are you okay?"

"We find Sarah, and then what? She wouldn't want to see me, or you, and she sure as hell wouldn't want to come back to this place." He snapped, shaking his head as he futilely added. "What do we do?"

"We cross that bridge when we get there, but we can't just leave her out there." Lee knew he was right, and just nodded as he felt Luke put a hand on his shoulder. "We should leave now. If we wanna reach Parker's Run before nightfall, we gotta hurry up about it."

Suddenly, the walkie talkie on Al's belt crackled to life, spooking all three of them before she unclipped it, bringing it to her face as she clicked a button on the side, speaking clearly into it. "Who's this?"

"It's Bill. Nathan's just called, the van's still pretty banged up so you ain't gonna be able to use it for the mission. Stop outside the paddock, I radioed the guard watching Ellie to saddle up some of the horses." Carver's voice crackled, before the walkie talkie died once more. Returning it to her clip, Al just shrugged and gestured for the two men to follow her, walking towards the stairs that led to the ground floor.

Passing the restaurant again, Lee glanced inside and saw that the people in there before were all gone, save for two that were helping Gabriel clean up. The cook spotted him, waving with a saddened smile, before one of his helpers tripped over a chair, causing him and the other survivor to go to their rescue. Smiling softly at that, Lee turned to watch ahead, keeping his stare as he watched Al, the woman unsuspecting as she just kept walking. She seemed decent besides the outburst this morning, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be watching her. Outside the walls, anything could happen, and she had yet to prove anything to him.

"How long have you been here, Al?" Lee suddenly asked, moving to her side.

"Since the beginning. I used to work here, on a store upstairs, before the dead started eating people." She explained, a short pause coming after before she continued. "Bill wasn't always in charge, not for the first few weeks. We all huddled here, trying to survive, you know, but it was dark times. A lot of people died. Bill came and he set up the walls, the greenhouse, everything."

"You make him sound like an inspiration." He spat, a feeling of rage building up in him.

Al didn't respond to that, rather just finishing the conversation with. "I know you blame him for what happened, but there was no other way around what your group did."

The trio quietened down. Walking down the stairs, Lee spotted someone waiting for them at the bottom, recognizing it to be Riley. Stiffening, he continued down the flight of stairs until they reached the bottom, catching her gaze as the young teen called out. "I heard over the radio. You guys are really going to find Sarah?"

"Yeah, we are," Lee promised, his voice growing quieter as he added. "If she can be found."

"What?" Her sharp voice caused Lee to frown deeper, knowing that she was on a slippery edge. "What do you mean?"

"We only found her glasses. We don't know what it means but… I'm just saying, be prepared if we come back without her." That broke the straw on the camel's back, and Lee grunted as Riley punched him in the gut, doubling over as she tried to hit him again **.** Luke jumped to his aid, pulling the girl back as she yelled loudly, no words being spat as she just struggled viciously. Being the stronger of the two, he put up a fair fight against the teen, his grip tightening on her upper arms as he tried to calm her down, his voice sharp and loud.

"Riley, calm down!" he ordered, grunting when all he received was an elbow to his side, his grip on her loosened enough for her to squirm out. Backing away from the duo, she just stared at them with a disgusted look, her arms raised to defend herself if she needed to. Her dark eyes were narrowed behind some of her hair that came loose from her beanie, her body crouched and tensed up as she was ready to strike out, keeping her stares on Lee and Luke whilst Al watched in shock.

"Riley, what the fuck?!" she snapped, losing her temper just like before. "We're going out there, risking our lives for Sarah, and you decide you're just gonna punch Lee? What the actual fuck is wrong with you?!"

"Fuck you! I told you, Lee, I told you what would happen if you didn't tell her the truth! Now, you're saying that she could be dead?!" Lee just stared at her, feeling nothing but pity for the young girl as she tried to figure out how to process her thoughts, the emotions running high as she shook her head.

Before any of them could say anything, the young teen ran off, and Lee could only watch sadly, wondering what he could do to help. Al, watching the teen as she disappeared around the stalls, walked up to Lee's side, her voice a softer tone as she sighed. "Riley really cares about Sarah, you know? Back when Carlos was here, they often kept together, mostly because there wasn't many other people their age. When Bill brought in the tests, and Sarah didn't have to do them because of her dad, their friendship went to shit."

"Beth told me about that. Riley went out, and she never came back the same." Lee pointed out, continuing to walk with Al by his side, Luke following after them.

"Don't remind me. A few of my friends lost their kids to those tests…" Al trailed off, sadness shown clearly through her scarred features, lips pulled down in a deep frown as she sighed. "The only friend that kid's had, and she's gone. What she did was out of order, but I kinda understand her pain, Sarah's too. You alright?"

"Yeah, she didn't hit that hard." Lee brushed off, rubbing his abdomen as the tenderness in his flesh caused him to flinch slightly. As they made their way to the paddock, he turned his head to try and see if he could spot Riley again, giving up when it became apparent that she disappeared.

He knew the teen was angry, but he had more important things to worry about then that. Walking briskly down the main room until they reached the door leading to the paddock, he waited as Al knocked on the door, the sound echoing through the open space, and then waited for a few moments before the door opened.

Rather than the guard, it was Ellie that opened the door, glaring heavily at Al as the latter returned the heated stares, neither happy to see the other. When she saw Lee however, her gaze softened, and she spoke in a softer voice. "The horses are ready for you guys to head out. Are… Are you really going to find Sarah?"

"Hopefully…" Lee replied, entering the paddock when the younger woman moved out of the way. Walking over to the horses, he noted that the stallion that kicked Alex was not any of the horses that were saddled up, rather being kept at the other end of the field by the guard, watching as three of its herd were being taken.

Whilst they were walking, Lee shot a stare at Al, waiting for her to apologise to Ellie, and heard her cough nervously. Slowly, she addressed the younger woman. "Hey, Ellie?"

"What?" she snapped, obviously still sore from their encounter this morning.

Al frowned but, with a glare from Lee, held her anger in check as she continued. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I lost my temper and it was not cool of me."

"That's great. Anything else?" Ellie dismissed, turning to Lee as she instead talked to him. "You ever ridden a horse before?"

"Once." He responded, eyeing the large animals as the group neared them. Ellie laughed at that, more at his face rather than his response, as Lee was still wary of the snorting beasts after what happened last time. Despite this, she seemed to not hold any grudge against them for her brother's death, rather to the leader of their community.

"They're not to blame, you know, for Alex's…" she trailed off, her face clearly showing the pain, before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a moment, she looked back up at Lee and smiled, nodding for him to jump up. Putting his foot in the stirrup, he grunted as he lifted his body off the ground, swinging his leg over and sitting securely in the saddle, readjusting himself whilst Luke and Al saddle up on their horses.

Watching as the horse he was riding shook its head, the mane rustling with the movement, Lee listened as Al explained. "The road that leads to Parker's Run is the one right in front of here, can't miss it. The scout group should be waiting along that road for us."

"Let's head out." Lee replied, kicking the horse into motion as it began to walk, its rider guiding it to the gate separating the paddock from the open space in front of the mall. The guard watching it opened the gate when they saw the trio riding towards them, watching as they rode through before closing it again, preventing anyone else from following through. Riding slowly, Lee could hear the groans of the walkers tied to the front gate, wondering how the horses would react to the situation, before he saw the front main gates being opened.

Nathan did a pretty good job, even though Lee was hoping for a way to escape. Despite their losses, the group were still willing to try again to escape, thinking of other ways, but so far their attempts were futile. The community was on lockdown after news of a herd, bigger than the scouts ever seen, making their way from down south. Thinking about Savannah, he wondered if Molly got out safe, remembering her farewells that day Clementine was kidnapped. Her hat was still under his pillow, safe from harm, and he hoped it stayed that creaking of the gates were loud and grating to his ears, and the moans grew louder when they rode out of the community, the horse switching to a canter that Lee had a hard time adjusting too.

The last time he rode a horse, it was not the best lesson he had, and it ended in the horse and almost himself being eaten alive. Regardless, he figured out most of the works himself. That wasn't to say he was having an easy time riding that horse, and the two survivors behind him were enjoying the view of Lee nearly being launched from the beast. The forest circling the mall and the roads parted for the main road, no buildings or landmarks to be seen for miles down the dusty path. Keeping his gaze straight ahead, alert to any signs of trouble, Lee began to ride down it, and hoped silently that he wasn't too late.

Riding on horse back made the journey a lot easier and quicker, as the trio spotted a small group of scouts flagging them down after around an hour or two. The sun was in the middle of the sky by then, clouds gathering for what looked like another snow storm, or rain if they were lucky. Al had taken lead during their travel, slowing the horse down to a stop as one of the scouts, a short chubby woman wearing a thick jacket with the hood up, walked closer to talk to her.

Whilst they were doing so, Lee decided then would be a good time to talk to Luke, who was looking more down the longer they rode. "How you doing, Luke?"

"Me? Ah, I'm erm, I'm fine. Thanks." He brushed off, surprised with Lee's concern.

"It's just that thing back in Carver's office. Was he always like that to you?" Lee continued, feeling a bit worried for the younger man.

The question seemed to have sparked something in Luke, causing him to glare at Lee as he snapped quietly. "No, my dad was a good man. It's just this fucking world. It chews you up by taking all your loved ones away, and soon you realise that you can do a lot of things and still sleep at night. That's when my dad started turning dark. Uncle George…"

"You said that name in the office. What happened to him?" Lee asked, hoping that he could help Luke.

"It was my fault. I thought I could do more than my dad said I could. I wanted to prove it to him, prove that I was no longer a boy but… I was wrong." He trailed off, looking up at Al as she continued to talk to the scout. "I tried to save an old friend on my own. I thought my dad didn't know a damn thing about me, I could do anything, but we were ambushed by walkers… and George gave his life to save me."

"I'm sorry. I know it's hard, dealing with that sort of guilt." Lee apologised, wondering how long Luke kept that bottled up inside him. A lot of people in their group made their suffering known, even Lee sometimes, but Luke kept everything to himself. This was the first time he was told anything about the young man's life before, and it made him realise that Luke was feeling the same loss and pain they were feeling. "Back when we were talking about that man's execution… you told me that you couldn't feel a thing about it. Is that true?"

Luke didn't answer, instead staring ahead with a thoughtful look on his face, before he just quietly responded. "No."

Lee wanted to continue the conversation, but was cut off when Al turned her body around, looking at the pair as she explained. "We got a problem. The scouts have spotted the herd moving this way, and they'll be on us by nightfall. We gotta get back to Howe's before that, hopefully the herd will pass by."

"That's a lot of ground to cover." Lee pointed out, feeling worry rip at his innards at the thought of being stuck in a herd again. The short woman Al was talking to came forward, catching his attention as she began to speak.

"That's why we're gonna be helping you," she explained, pointing in the direction of the tourist trap as she added. "Parker's Run is a big place, and we got the trailer park close by to think of. It'll be a lot quicker with me and my boys helping you."

"Thank you for doing this." Lee replied, grateful with their help in finding Sarah.

Crossing her arms, the woman smiled softly and responded. "We look out for our own. We should head out now, we're running out of daylight fast."

And so the group set off, travelling down the path as clouds started gathering. Soon, the sun was blocked out by a thick layer of grey, and snow started to fall, small white flakes drifting down as Lee watched them, allowing his horse to follow after the other two whilst he daydreamed. It was freezing, and he wondered if Sarah was keeping warm, remembering the thick ski jacket Lilly gave her the first time they met. Hopefully, she found a place to stay for a while, being out in this world on her own, and he couldn't help but worry about his doubts. The flashback to Carlos' corpse was vivid in his mind.

The blood pooling underneath him, grey eyes and rotten skin, his arm stretched out as he weakly tried to get at Lee to eat him, and how quickly his body stilled when the axe was embedded into the back of his head. Closing his eyes, Lee tried to push those images away. He couldn't think like that. Because of the scouts being on foot, the trio had to ride the horses at a walk, and it was incredibly slow for him. Impatience gnawed at Lee, him watching the trees passing by at a snail's pace, and as the snow kept falling, his impatience only grew. A blast of icy wind hit them, causing Lee to shiver violently despite his leather jacket protecting his from the bite of the frost.

Luke wasn't doing so well. His thin shirt offered barely any protection, and his exposed arms shook with hairs standing on end desperate to retain any heat they could. It felt like hours before the scout stopped, the three pausing behind the group as she stared ahead, Lee following her gaze to see a memorial statue standing in the middle of signs and rest areas. The statue consisted of two soldiers, one of them carrying his comrade over his shoulder, and Lee stared at it as they neared the open space. Whilst he was looking at it, he heard Al grunting as she dismounted, tying the horse up to a signpost as she glanced over at him.

"Best if we dismount now. The horses might see something they don't like and get spooked, plus there's lots of nooks and crannies that Sarah can hide in." She explained, watching as Lee and Luke copied her actions, tying their horses to posts to stop them from wandering off. Hopefully, no walkers come and attack the animals whilst they are defenseless.

"We should split up, that way we can cover more ground." Luke suggested.

Al nodded to that, unclipping her walkie talkie as she replied. "Good idea. I'll go to the gift shop, see if Sarah's there. Why don't you two go to the museum? I'll catch you guys when I'm done looking."

Before they could set off, she quickly called out to Luke, tossing her walkie talkie as she added. "Keep this on ya, so we can communicate with each other. Warn us if you see anything dodgy."

As soon as Luke caught the walkie talkie, she quickly added, tossing a spare gun from the horse's saddle. "Oh shit, I forgot. Here, to defend yourselves. Try to find shit there too, we could always use more supplies."

"Alright. Come on, Lee." Luke obeyed, clipping the walkie talkie to his belt as they set off, gun in hand, walking down a path that led to the museum, the sign pointing down its direction written in giant white letters. Lee glanced up at the sky, noticing the clouds getting darker as snow continued to fall, the wind picking up and biting into their exposed skin. Their feet crunched as they stood in the freshly fallen snow on the ground, leaving footprints as they walked down the path. Shoving his hands in his pockets to protect them from the frost, Lee exhaled loudly, watching as his breath formed mist in front of his face.

It had been a month that he was trapped in Howe's, and being free had its benefits. He was free to walk around, not having to see the stares and bitter words spat at him, nor did he have to do back-breaking work all day. It was almost like a school trip, though he quickly added the fact that walkers were around eating people to his thoughts. That, and he really did not like winter. Similar to his brother, he hated the cold, but he was thankful he hardly ever got sick, but that might change if he is forced to stay in the Pen any longer. At least Christa was safe inside, especially with the baby coming along.

Having spotted her a few times throughout the month-long punishment, Lee's noticed that she was showing heavily, and he felt worry for them both. He didn't know what Carver would do with the baby once it was born, or what he would do with Christa. He hoped that she could still stay inside, otherwise the baby would get sick easily, but he wasn't sure of anything anymore. Whilst he was thinking about his, he heard a crow cawing above them, the black feathered bird soaring above until it landed on post.

Staring at them with its beady eyes, Luke stared at it before he grumbled to Lee. "It's really gone to hell when I look at that thing and think 'dinner'."

"Even if you could catch it, there's not enough on it for a snack." He chuckled, tapping his companion on the shoulder as he added. "Come on, we better get a move on."

"What do you think we're gonna find there?" Luke asked, following after Lee as he continued down the path. The crow remained for a few moments, watching the two men leaving before it took off into the sky.

Listening as his feet crunched the snow below, Lee stared ahead and replied. "Hopefully, Sarah."

"Well, yeah I hope so too but… what if the herd shows up? What are we gonna do then?" he pressed on, not noticing that Lee was starting to lose his cool. His hands clenched inside his pockets, fingernails digging into the skin of his palms, almost enough to start drawing blood. Taking a deep breath, he started to address the young man behind him.

"Luke," he began, his teeth gritting together. "Shut up."

Taking the warning, Luke quietened down and instead continued to follow Lee, walking in complete silence save the wind blowing in their ears. Shivering, Lee moved his head down, staring at the floor slightly ahead of them to try and keep the snow from being blown in his face, his nose and ears losing feeling and his teeth chattering as the temperature continued to drop. Suddenly, something was spotted on the ground, half-covered in snow and almost completely missable. Pausing, Lee stared at it, before he moved closer and kneeled, one of his hands coming out of his warm pocket to brush the snow off.

The feeling of frozen fur caused his eyebrow to raise, and moving more snow off it finally revealed what it was. His breath hitched, eyes widened in surprise and his hand stilled, Luke watching over him with a confused expression as Lee picked the object up. Holding it in his hand, he listened as the younger man asked him. "What is that?"

Staring down at it, he closed his fingers around it, keeping it safe, and replied. "It's Sarah's keychain."

"You sure?" he gasped, looking up at the museum that came into view. "Well, if it is, she could be in there. We gotta be quick if we don't wanna lose her."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go." With the present safely in his pocket, the duo began to run for the museum, eager to find the teen and to get out of the cold for a while. Thoughts ran through Lee's head, eagerness to hurry and reunite with Sarah but also fear, both for what she would be like to them alive, but also if they were too late. He prayed silently. Reaching the smashed open door leading into the museum, they paused, the broken glass scattered on the floor inside the building.

"Keep a look out. We don't know what we're gonna run into." He warned Luke, slipping through the broken door and out of the freezing snow. Shaking his legs to get the warmth back in, he looked around, frowning at the scene before him. There were corpses lying on the ground, one of them at the end of a trail of blood, slumped against the wall. Moving towards him, Luke glanced up at the large blood splatter on the wall behind the corpse, the red liquid dried, before picking up the pistol in its hand. "No bullets left. He must have saved the last one for himself. I guess not everyone can keep going, huh?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean." He replied, recalling Katjaa whilst staring at the deceased man. Thinking about it, he wondered what it would be like if she had survived, along with Kenny, and how they'd react to this place. She was a good woman.

"It's a shame." he heard Luke muttered, tossing the pistol back and walked off to find something. Turning around, he went to search the place for clues, as well as something they could bring back. Moving towards the glass displays, he peered in to see a plastic enactment of the civil war, smiling softly as he read the information boards posted in front of the display.

He didn't give it much thought those past months since the plague began, but he missed teaching, and his students despite some of them being a bit colourful. Looking around the display, he spotted another corpse lying face down, something underneath them catching his interest. Leaving the display alone, he kneeled down by the corpse's side, wincing at the side of a bullet wound going through the back of its head. Pushing it, he grunted as it shifted, revealing a small axe underneath.

Picking it up, he gave it a few swings before mumbling. "Better than nothing."

Keeping tight hold of it, he spotted Luke looking through a closed shutter into the security room, moving towards him as he straightened himself out. "Not much here, but someone has been here recently. There's a roll and a backpack in there."

"Could Sarah have been staying here for this past month?" Lee asked, a deep frown on his face as he looked through the shutters. Luke was right. Inside, a small bed roll was laid out on the floor, the cover left half open, and a backpack was laid beside it, leaning against the wall. Suddenly, the walkie talkie crackled to life, attracting the attention of the men as Lee turned around, watching as Luke pulled the noisy object from his belt, bringing it close to his face as he pressed the button.

"Al, is that you?" he asked, listening carefully as the radio continued to crackle. Quickly, Al's voice could be heard through it.

"Luke? Shit, we're up on the observation deck, near the gift shop but, dude you guys have gotta get outta there! We've spotted the herd, they've came sooner than we thought but they're coming from the museum!"

"What?! Oh shit, you have any idea how long we got?!" Luke asked, obviously scared by the news.

"Not long, you guys gotta get outta there before they plough through! Sarah's not here, did you have any luck?!" Al asked.

"No, and I don't think we're gonna! It's a goddamn massacre here!" he explained, glancing around as he added. "ALright, we're leaving now! We gotta get back to Howe's before the herd do, does dad know?!"

"Yeah, we radioed him as soon as we saw them! We'll be waiting by the horses, but if you guys are not here in time we gotta go!" Lee and Luke shared a worried look, before he walked past the younger man.

Looking around, he called out desperately. "Sarah! If you're here, you gotta come out! It's Lee, me and Luke have come to find you, there's a herd coming and we gotta be out of here before they're on us!"

Waiting a few seconds, his heart hammered in his chest at no response, and he turned around to Luke whilst talking. "Shit, man, we can't leave her to the her-!"

He paused, staring at Luke with shock on his face clearly. Standing there, the young man was pointing the gun that Al gave him at Lee, his face showing how uncomfortable this situation was for him. Unable to think straight, he just stood there with a dumbfounded expression, shortly after spluttering out. "Luke, what the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Lee, I really am but dad… he told me to do this." Luke explained, keeping his pistol aimed at the older man as he continued. "Your entire group has fucked up the community with that plan, _your plan_ , and now people are questioning whether Carver should be in charge anymore."

"Luke, I thought we were friends, man! Carver's fucked everything up with his punishments, the executions, shoving kids out there! We did what we did because it would be better out there than staying at Howe's!" Lee snapped, raising his hands at Luke's gesture. "You don't have to do this, Luke. Carver may have been a good dad to you but those days are gone. He's no longer the man you know, and you doing this? It's just playing further in his hands. What good will killing me do?"

"I-I don't know! People will stop questioning and we can carry on like before. Before you came in!" he stammered, his grip on his pistol shaking as he tried to keep his nerve.

"Are you fucking kidding me?! Grow the fuck up, man! You know that after today, nothing will ever be the same! People will keep going against Carver because they need to, otherwise we're all fucked!" Lee tried to reason.

Luke glanced down momentarily, unsure what to do, before he looked back up, a scowl on his face as he snapped. "You don't know that! This will work!"

"Open your eyes, Luke! You're the only one who's gonna lose here! What about Nick? He needs you more than ever because you're the only thing he has left?!" Lee pointed out, his eyes darting between Luke and the gun pointing at him. His heart hammered against his ribcage, his mind screaming for him to run or fight, but he knew that he would die if he did anything. This wasn't the time for fighting, he had to get to Luke through his words.

"No, no, I was a terrible friend to Nick! He almost died because of me! I-I didn't know the trap at the river would have backfired!" Luke rejected, his face falling as soon as he realised what he blurted out.

Lee froze, his eyes staring at Luke as he tried to figure out what he just said. Slowly, he pressed further. "What? Luke, what did you do?"

"I-I…" he tried to excuse himself, before he just fell silent. The pieces started to fall together for Lee, his hands falling down slowly as he realised what Luke was saying. What happened back at the river, he didn't tell anyone save Christa and the group, and they didn't have any time or want to talk to Luke.

With his voice barely a whisper, Lee muttered. "You sent us to that river on purpose. You wanted us to get caught in that trap! Why?!"

"No! I-I, erm, I-" Luke attempted to deny any responsibility, before Lee cut him off.

"How did Carver find the group in the cabin? How, Luke?!" he demanded, his voice a loud bark that caused Luke to recoil, backing away slightly as he kept the pistol held high.

Knowing that nothing would help them, he finally came clean. "It was the radio you destroyed! I wasn't trying to contact Pete with it, I didn't even know if he was still alive… I used it to tell my dad where we were holding up. I'm sorry but I had to. He trusted me."

" _We trusted you!_ " Lee roared, closing the distance between him and Luke before a warning shot stilled him, the smoke rolling off the barrel of the weapon.

Finger on the trigger, Luke took in a deep breath and apologized. "There's nothing I can do, now. This is just how it's gotta be. Goodbye, Lee."

A gunshot rang through the air. Lee closed his eyes as his body flinched, ready for the blow. After a few seconds, his eyes creaked open, looking over his body as his hands searched for any wounds, ready for the sticky blood to cling to his fingers. Finding nothing, he was confused and glanced upwards, that confusion turning quickly to shock as he spotted Luke lying on the floor, blood pooling out of a bullet wound on his thigh. His gun was flung when he was shot, and Lee ran for it, kicking it out of his reach to prevent him from grabbing it and finishing the job, the weapon skidding to a stop against the wall.

Turning around, he couldn't do anything as Luke pressed his hands against the wound, his hands red with blood as he yelled loudly. "F-Fuck! Shit, there's so much blood!"

"Don't move!" A new voice called out, sounding familiar. Lee's blood ran cold, his eyes lifting in the direction of the new voice and he saw the person, his saviour, standing on the steps of the stairs leading upstairs, a smoking glock in her hands. She was afraid, shocked at what she done, but she kept her finger on the trigger as Lee just stared at her.

He had found Sarah.


	28. All Shall Come To Light

Lee stood there, staring at Sarah in shock as she kept the gun up, aiming it at Luke with a saddened look on her face. Slowly, she lowered it, her hands shaking so badly that she dropped the weapon, her face showing the shock of what she just did. Walking over to him, she didn't reply as Lee muttered. "Sarah? Is...Is that really you?"

She didn't react to his voice, instead staring down at Luke as he bled out onto the floor, her weapon long discarded by the stairs. Picking it up, Lee looked behind him, deciding to walk closer as he held his hand out, his voice gentle as he called out. "Sarah, it's alright now."

"I-I couldn't let him kill you!" She snapped, kneeling down beside Luke as she turned to face Lee, staring down at the bleeding body with horror, her breath hitching in the panic. "Why did he do this?!"

Tossing him a set of keys, she placed her hands on the wound, trying to keep the pressure as she instructed. "He's bleeding a lot! Lee, I need you to grab my backpack in that room."

Catching the keys, he nodded as he ran for the door, fiddling with the keys to find the one that opened the locked door. Slotting it into the lock, he turned and shoved the door open, grabbing the backpack and turning back around, tossing it to Sarah as he paused, watching her begin work on Luke's leg. It was strange, seeing her after being separated for a month, and despite her shaking hands as she applied pressure to the bullet wound, she was more confident in dealing with it than she was when Sofia was shot.

Her hands became sticky with Luke's blood, her face twisted in a saddened expression as she muttered to him. "Why, Luke? I thought you were our friend."

Luke couldn't even look at Sarah, his face showing a mix of disbelief and agony as he screamed in pain, the feeling of Sarah's hands on the bullet wound sending waves of unbelieveable pain up his nerves, almost like electricity. Lee stared, seeing sweat rolling down the younger man's face as he fought against the urge to move away, wanting to get away from the pain and the looks of betrayal directed at him. "Ah, f-fuck!"

"Sarah, I'm sorry." Lee tried to apologize whilst she worked, staring at Luke's pained face as he continued. "I should have told you about your dad, but I didn't know how you would have handled it. It was wrong of me."

Sarah didn't respond to that, but the saddened look on her face told Lee everything, and his mind scolded him for causing this entire mess. Carley told him once about the dangers of keeping secrets, he should have listened. He had to say something, anything to fix this, and so he continued talking to her. "Sarah, I-"

"Now is not the time for that." She cut him off, looking up at Lee whilst Luke squirmed in agony.

"Sarah, I promised Carlos that I'd look after you. Everyone back at Howe's is worried for you. Nick, Christa, Lilly, all of them. We just wanted to know that you were safe." Lee insisted, moving closer to her and Luke when she gestured him to do so.

Shifting over, she explained to him, her eyes shifting over to her backpack. "Inside, there's some bandages and rope, I need them to stop the bleeding."

Lee obeyed, not saying any other word, zipping the backpack open and shifting through the contents inside. He pushed aside a book to spot the things needed sitting at the bottom, pulling them out as Luke yelled out in pain, he was struggling against Sarah's hands as she tried to keep the pressure. Surprised, Lee quickly rushed to hold the young man down, making sure he could do no more damage to his leg or lose anymore blood as Sarah tried to calm him down.

"Luke, but I need you to stay still! Please, just listen to me!"

"You have to be faster, Sarah." Lee explained, glancing around for any signs of walkers, most likely being attracted by Luke's screams. "There's a herd coming this way, we gotta be out of here by then."

"I just need to keep the pressure!" she explained, unwilling to entertain the idea of abandoning Luke. Lee didn't understand. He was about to be killed by this guy, but Sarah is adamant that she can save him, trying her best to keep the pressure as she ordered. "Wrap the rope around his leg, it'll lessen the blood flow until we can treat the wound."

Grabbing the rope, he wrapped it around the upper part of Luke's thigh, above the bullet wound, tying it tight as she showed. Luke was fading away, his screams dying down to painful whimpers, and Sarah started to lose her cool as she begged him. "Don't close your eyes! You have to stay away, please, stay awake!"

Passing her the bandages, he listened as she explained to him. "I'm going to remove my hands from the wound, hopefully the bleeding slowed down-!"

"Sarah!" a voice called out, Sarah and Lee looking up to see a woman running towards them, raising her gun at Lee as he raised his hands, her voice a sharp order. "Don't move!"

"Woah there, I'm not a threat!" he yelled, standing up as he tried to explain. The woman paused by his yelling, glancing at Sarah before looking back at Lee, moving closer to him with her gun still raised in case. Standing there, he noticed her tall stature, her long face twisted in a distrusting look, her ears covered by her ear muffs. Moving a stray of brown hair from in front of her face, she finally asked him calmly.

"Who are you?" she questioned, lowering her gun slightly as she added. "I ain't seen you before."

"I'm Lee," he introduced himself, lowering his hands as his head gestured to the young girl beside him. "I'm Sarah's friend."

"Sarah, is this true?" the woman asked, shifting her gaze from Lee to the busy teen who gave a nod for answer, noticing Luke lying there in a puddle of blood. "Jesus, what's happened here?!"

"I had to shoot him. He was going to kill Lee!" Sarah explained, wrapping the wound in the bandage as she added. "He's lost a lot of blood, w-we need to get him back to Huan!"

"You did good, Sarah. We'll bring them back to our holdup, but we have to get moving." Edith praised, moving to Luke's side as Sarah backed off, staring down at her hands dyed red with blood, before she watched the older woman begin to pick Luke up. "Lee, you wanna give us a hand?"

"Yeah, sorry." He apologized, moving to help her when the radio started crackling to life.

Freezing up, he listened as Al's voice spoke through the damaged object. "Shit, Luke? Luke, are you there?! The herd is nearly on top of you guys, where are you?!"

Turning to Edith, he watched as she gestured for him to answer it, picking it up and bringing it close to his face. "It's Lee here."

"Thank god." Al gasped, her voice distorting badly from the damaged radio as she explained. "Where's Luke?"

Looking up at Edith, he noticed she was aiming her gun at Luke, in case he tried to ask for help. He frowned as she waved her hand over her neck, signalling for him to lie. Pushing the button, he sighed and started explaining. "We're out of the museum, but we got cut off from the meet-up point. We'll try to get back to Howe's but you guys gotta go before the herd gets there."

"Fuck! Okay, okay, we'll warn the community when we get back, and tell them that you guys should be back soon. Just be safe out there, and please, for your own good, don't do anything stupid." she ordered, before the radio fell silent. Looking down, his attention was drawn when Luke yelped in pain, Edith readjusting his arm as she looked up at Lee.

"We're leaving now. My group is in the trailer park not far from here. Hopefully, your...friend here will make it." She explained, appearing uncomfortable with Luke practically dying next to her, adding whilst Lee grabbed the younger man's other arm and put it over his shoulders, baring most of his weight. "Sarah, you have your weapon?"

"Yeah." She nodded, taking the pistol from Lee as he offered it, picking up her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder as she followed after the three adults, glancing back at the blood for a moment until she finally left. Lee snuck a peak at Luke as they exited the abandoned building, entering the cold snow once more as they all walked slowly. His face was turning pale, his eyes glancing around groggily whilst his leg that was shot began to drag, leaving a small trail behind them with a few drops of blood coming from the wound, dripping down and staining the pure white snow red. His hair was sticky to his forehead from the sweat, and his breathing turned heavy as the hot air formed mist in front of his face.

He wouldn't even look at Lee, instead staring down at the ground whilst they worked hard to get him to the medic in Edith's group, and honestly, Lee didn't know why he was even saving him. If Sarah wasn't there, he would have been dead, and Luke would have gone back with tales about how the walkers got him. No one would know, and no one would be there to take care of his friends. His eyebrows knitted together, his frown deepening as he quietly asked Edith, not eager for Sarah to hear. "Tell me why we're saving this asshole?"

"We don't leave people to die." She simply retorted, her face saddening as she continued. "No one gets left behind."

"He would have left me behind for the walkers if Sarah didn't show up." He pointed out, noticing that Luke had finally closed his eyes, losing consciousness as his breathing slowed. "Shit, he's gonna die on us before we can even get him to the hideout."

"We better hurry then. You have any transport to get here? Howe's is a good few miles away from this place." She asked, pulling Luke further up as his body began to slump. "Man, he's really heavy."

"We used horses, but the group we were with most likely took them by now." Lee sighed, listening as Edith swore quietly under her breath. Quickly, they fell into silence, only the sounds of their feet crunching the snow underneath them and Sarah's quiet groaning at the cold. The wind had died down, but snow continued to fall lightly, the skies a dull grey as he glanced upwards. The light was fading fast, it would be night time soon, and he would rather be somewhere safe than dragging a body through the snow in the dark, especially with the herd out there. He hoped that Al and the scouts got out safe, and when they reached the part of the civil war memorial they arrived to beforehand, no one was there to greet them.

Glancing around, he noticed that the horses were gone as well, no doubt taken back to Howe's to bunker down for the storm coming. That was when weak groans came from Luke, Lee's blood running cold as he thought he reanimated, quick to throw him away as Edith yelled in surprise, almost dragged down with Luke as the young man connected with the snow-covered ground. He grunted on impact, his eyes opening to reveal the tired brown rather than the milky white that the undead corpses had.

Turning around, he stood there as Edith snapped. "What is wrong with you?!"

"I thought he was coming back as a walker!" Lee defended himself, moving to help Luke off the ground with Edith. The injured party didn't say anything, most likely from the blood loss and lethargy wracking at his being, and Lee was grateful he didn't have to deal with any harsh words whilst he was helping the traitorous bastard.

"We shouldn't be too far from the trailer park, right?" Sarah suddenly asked, moving to the front of the group as she glanced off down a path leading away from Howe's. "Luke can make it until then."

"Sarah, why are you adamant on saving him?" Lee suddenly asked, ignoring Edith's surprised expression that he would ask such a thing. Sarah meanwhile, frowned at that, slowly moving her gaze from Lee to Luke before she took in a deep breath, her stare unmoving as she finally replied.

"Because I have to know _something_ from him." With that, she turned around and continued to walk, small footprints left that Lee and Edith followed, the woman staring at the younger teen's back with a knowing look. With the memorial behind them, they continued down the path with the trees moving closer to the path line, looming over them as snow gathered on their branches, some weighing too much and plummeting to the ground. A few cars were scattered on the road, long abandoned by their previous owners and stripped of anything useful, Lee glancing in one as he passed it, frowning as he spotted a baby car seat with blood splattered on the fabric.

Sarah glanced inside them as well, her hands gripped tightly on her pistol as she quickly backed away, glancing up at Lee with a saddened, almost panicked look. Confused, he and Edith dragged Luke to the car that she was just looking in, peering in and gasping quietly. Sitting in the chair, still strapped in, was a walker. His short legs didn't even reach the car floor, his greyed shirt stained in blood and his hand reached out weakly, small groans coming from the young walker as it tried to get out of its restraints, eager to feed on the survivors standing outside the car.

He heard Edith sigh deeply, listening as she muttered. "Poor kid. He didn't even stand a chance."

"L-lets just keep moving, Luke's injuries are only gonna get worse." Sarah pointed out, staring down at the injury to the younger man's leg as it was dragged behind him uselessly, his eyes half-closed as he fought to remain conscious.

Lee nodded at that, continuing to walk with Edith as they dragged the injured survivor with them, staring off ahead as a sign came into view in the distance, followed by a large chain-link fence with trailers behind them, the fence covered in nailed down pieces of wood boards, haphazardly put together to keep the walkers out. Looking up at it, he could barely make out the letters. _Sunshine Village Mobile Home Park._ As they neared it, he heard a radio crackling on Sarah's person, watching as she pulled it out and clicked the button, listening as a male voice came through. "Sarah, you there? You and Edith have been gone a while, is something wrong?"

"I'm here, Sam." She replied, glancing over at the others as she added. "We've ran into some problems getting my stuff, and a herd is nearby, so we gotta bunk down for the night before it hits. Get Huan to ready the room we set up for injuries, we got wounded."

Sam quickly responded, his voice wracked with worry. "Shit, Edith-"

"She's okay! it's just...an old friend I ran into. Can you open the gate, please?." With that, Sarah released the button and put the radio back in her ski jacket, noticing that it was stained in dark blood.

Seeing him staring at the girl's jacket, Edith explained to him. "It's from the walkers. You cover up in their blood and they can't tell you from one of them

"Yeah, It's pretty gross, but that's how I survived this long."

"Yeah, it's how I got out of a bad situation once too." Lee replied, following after them as they continued walking for the last part of the journey. Reaching the gate, he searched the area for any danger, shivering violently as the cold started to get to him. Beside him, Edith let out a shaky breath, trying to control her shaking as a blast of icy wind hit them, her hair flowing in the air whilst she tried to guide Lee and Luke to the gate into the fenced off home.

Sarah took the front again, pistol tight in her hands and ready to be fired, as she scanned the area, her body stiff and shivering as she fought down the cold and the fear. Luke made no noise, instead breathing heavily as Lee felt him shivering against his shoulders, most likely the hypothermia was setting in. Remembering what happened to Pete, and how quickly he deteriorated, he pushed forward, and made it the rest of the way as they paused in front of a metal gate, the bars in between allowing them to see through.

Knocking on the gate, Sarah's voice called out. "Sam! Sam, open up!"

Quickly, they spotted a man run out of one of the nearby homes, jumping over the playground fence as he reached the gate, unlocking it and pulling it open with some considerable effort. Rushing in, he slammed the gate once more, locking it to prevent anyone else getting in, before he turned to Sarah. "You had us worried for awhile, kid."

"I'm sorry. We didn't know we were gonna run into trouble," she started, turning to Luke as she continued. "He needs to see Huan. He got shot in the leg."

"Jesus, this your friend?" he asked, shocked as he saw the bullet wound in Luke's leg. Lee stood there, unsure whether to trust these new people or not, staring at Sam with a frown pulling at his face. Much to his surprise, Sam looked a lot like Edith, sharing those same dark eyes and brown hair, though only strands of it could be seen underneath his russian fur hat, his hands rubbing together as he tried to fight the cold.

"We need to take him to the doctor, Sam, come on." Edith ordered, watching as Sam nodded and took Luke's arm off Lee, helping her move him further in the trailer park as he suggested to Lee. "Why don't you look around with Sarah? You guys are gonna be stuck here for the night."

"Alright." He replied, watching as Sam and Edith disappeared out of sight with Luke in tow, standing next to Sarah in silence for a while before he tried to speak to her. "This is a good place to hide in. How did you come across it?"

"I didn't. Edith and her group broke down here around a week ago, and they've been looking for supplies to fix their car." Sarah explained, walking over to the playground and sitting down on one of the swings, not even attempting to push herself on it as she continued her story. "They found me in the museum and took care of me. I didn't have any food or water when I ran away, luckily, I found bottles of water and some canned food that were stashed in the security room I was sleeping in."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, it must have been tough." He apologized again, sitting down on a swing next to Sarah, staring down at her as she just stared at the snow on the floor, her foot nudging some of it away to reveal the gravel underneath.

Hands gripping the ice-cold metal chains, she didn't say anything whilst the both of them sat in silence. Glancing at the snow falling down, he listened as Sarah sadly whisper. "When the car is fixed, I'm going to Wellington with Edith and her group."

"You're leaving?" he asked, feeling the sudden hit of shock and sorrow hitting him at the thought of losing her again.

"I know you're gonna try to talk me out of it, but I decided a few days ago. I… I didn't know I'd see you again. It's safe up there, safer than at Howe's or here, and I have to do what my dad would want me to do." She confessed, not meeting Lee's gaze when her foot paused in scooping the snow. "I can't go back there. Not with everything that's happened, but I'm sad that Nick and the others are trapped there."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Lee asked, trying his best not to pressure the young girl into anything.

It took a few seconds for Sarah to reply, and she did so with a quiet voice. "I'm sure. I care about my friends, they've looked after me, and I'm grateful for what you've done for me but… I can't trust you anymore. I want to, but all I can think of is my dad not coming back."

"...Can I tell you something, Sarah?" he responded, looking far ahead when Sarah looked up at him, surprised with his calm voice. "When this whole thing started, I met this little girl hiding in her tree house. She wanted her parents, but they took a trip to Savannah before the plague and her babysitter didn't make it. I pretty much knew that they didn't make it."

"How could you have been so sure?" she questioned him.

"It was a gut feeling. A voice message was left on the phone, and it didn't sound too promising, but I kept her hopes up. I didn't want to be the one who told her that her parents were gone, just like I did with you." Lee explained, not looking at Sarah as he continued. "We went to Savannah to find a boat. She wanted her parents, and I knew that I wasn't them. This man contacted her on her walkie talkie, told her lies about how he was with her parents, and convinced her to leave the group we were in to find him."

"...What happened?" she asked, her hands releasing the chains and resting on her lap.

"She got bit. He didn't do anything about it, and I had to put her down before she could turn. Sometimes, I look back and I wonder if there was anything I could have done to change it, but it never helped, and that's what you gotta do Sarah." Finally, he glanced down at her, and finished his story. "Don't look back. All you'll do is hurt yourself, and if you need to do this… then I stand by your decision."

Sarah didn't respond, glancing away as Lee reached into his pocket, pulling out her keychain and glasses as he offered them to her. "You'll need these. I can't make you stay, but all I ask is that you don't forget about us."

"I won't. Despite what you done, you still cared for me when my dad wasn't there, and I'm grateful for that." When she looked up at him, Lee saw that tears were falling down her face, her voice cracking as she begged. "Please, will you tell the others I said goodbye?"

"Sure thing, Sarah." He agreed.

Placing the glasses on her face, she stood up, waiting for Lee to stand up as well before she pointed out. "Huan should have treated Luke by now. I want to go and see him but… I'm terrified."

"You want me there with you?" he asked, hoping that he could calm the teen's nerves.

"No," she rejected, crossing her arms. "This is something I have to do myself. Edith will be around, you should go and talk to her."

After saying that, she turned and walked off, following the footsteps made by Edith and Sam when they took Luke away. Lee didn't move. Instead, he just stood there as his coold resolve failed, and he quietly muttered to himself. "What am I going to tell the others?"

It felt like he finally found her, only for Sarah to slip out of his reach once more, and he only blamed himself. Hopefully, she would find friends in Wellington, and others would look after her as he tried to. Finally, he started to walk along, looking at the different trailers as he walked by. Some had their windows boarded up, others with windows that were smashed in, the glass long hidden under the thick blanket of snow. Cars littered the pathways, a barricade erected that looked like it was half-destroyed long ago, a car slammed into the side with its passenger lying face first on the wheel, staring off through the open door with dead eyes.

Passing by it, he gave it a brief glance before he looked at the barricade, spotting random things such as televisions and a couch being shoved in there in a desperate attempt to ward off danger. It obviously hadn't worked. With a raised eyebrow, he just peeked over the barricade at the trailers behind it, noticing Sam standing by the door, talking to someone inside the trailer. He laughed loudly, before he turned to keep watch, noticing Lee standing there and, with a wide grin, waved at him.

"Hey, come over here! Go through that trailer there, unless you wanna practice your gymnastics and vault over that barricade?" he joked, standing there as Lee smirked, turning to see a door leading into another trailer. Opening it, he slipped inside, freezing when he noticed the half-frozen bodies laying there on the floor.

Staring at them, he noticed one of them clutching a bundle, the blanket stained in blood as he kneeled down beside them, his hand stretched out to check what it was, staring at it as he realised what he was looking at. Moving his hand away, he mumbled under his breath. "Jesus…"

Standing back up, he backed away from the corpses, and instead turned around as he reached another door, opening it to see him on the other side of the barricade, Sam waiting for him by the door with that same smile on his face. Closing the door behind him, Lee walked down the steps and over to him, a neutral look on his face as Sam started to speak. "Your friend is in there. Huan managed to stop the bleeding, disinfected it and changed the bandages. With luck, he'll pull through to morning."

"I'd try to care, but after what he's done I don't know." Lee revealed, watching as Sam's smile fell and he appeared surprised by the bitter tone in the elder's voice.

"Jesus," he started, glancing inside the room as he continued. "What did he do?"

"He tried to kill me. The man in charge of our community down south is his dad. Right now, everything there is going to shit because my group tried to escape. Now, he ordered Luke to kill me, disguise it as the herd getting me." Lee explained, crossing his arms whilst he thought about the incident. "I wouldn't be here, if it weren't for Sarah."

"Poor kid. She was really shaken over having to do that." He sighed, leaning against the doorframe. "You know, when we first met her, she was like a shell. For the first few days, she wouldn't speak to us, she wouldn't move, she just… sat there mumbling to herself. After that, she finally pulled through, started giving us bits about her past. Mentioned you a few times."

"What happened is complicated. I did some things that I'm not proud of, and I've paid for it." Lee confessed, saddened by the news of Sarah leaving. Before Sam could reply, Edith appeared from behind the door, a hand holding onto the door as she stared at the two.

Glancing behind him, Sam just stood there as she ordered him. "Sam, take Sarah to our trailer. Lee and I have to talk."

Obeying, he watched as the young teen appeared from behind Edith, glancing up at Lee for a moment before being taken away by the other male survivor, leaving her old friend and Edith alone for a conversation. Dreading it, he turned back around whilst the woman sighed, her face expressing the sympathy she felt for the young child. Shifting her eyes over to Lee, she gestured for him to come inside, closing the door after him when he did so. It wasn't much better in the trailer than outside, but at least he wasn't standing in the snow whilst talking with her.

Looking around, he noticed that they were standing in what must have been the living room, the kitchen off in the corner in full view, the small box tv in front of the couch smashed and practically useless, the glass cleaned up. The silence was awkward, especially since Edith looked like she was trying to think of what to say. Finally, he listened as she whispered. "Sarah told you… about Wellington."

"She did, and I respect her decision." He replied, his voice low as he heard Luke yell in pain in the room down the hall. "How is he?"

"She missed his femoral artery. Huan did his best to stop the bleeding, but if we arrived five minutes later…" she trailed off, sure that Lee got the picture, and could only mutter. "He's conscious now, anyway, you wanna go and talk to him?"

"Was Sarah alright with him?" he suddenly asked, not moving as Edith just frowned. "Was it that bad?"

"Some of the shit I heard… it's hard, you know? Trying to protect someone so young from this world. All the things she's seen and done." She explained, anger flashing in her eyes as she finally snapped. "That man in there. The things he did, the people he betrayed. I'm not going to lie, Lee. It knocks me sick."

"Yeah, I know how you feel." He agreed.

"Don't think that because you're talking with me that I'm happy about it. I know you lied to Sarah about her father, and that doesn't sit right with me." She pointed out, keeping a calm head whilst Lee appeared guilty about his actions. "I'm not in any place to judge. I don't know you, but I hope that you've learned from this."

Although he blamed himself, listening to Edith chastise him didn't sit right, and he couldn't help but feel defensive about it. "That's right, you don't know me or my reasons for doing what I did."

"Lee, I'm not trying to fight." She sighed, rubbing her upper arm as she continued. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow? You going back to Howe's?"

"I have to. My friends are still trapped there, and I won't last long on my own out here." He responded, feeling helpless. Being out of the Pen, out of that community, it felt like a nice change of scenery, but he knew it wouldn't last long. What he was going to do tomorrow, returning with an injured Luke, it was anyone's guess what would happen.

"You know, we were down here to try and reach out to Howe's, form an alliance between them and Wellington, trade things your people need, but Carver wouldn't have anything. He would rather drag his people down with him than ask for help." Edith revealed, her voice quiet as she continued. "It's not only his people at risk. My community, people I care about, we're running out of food because of the winter. Howe's is the closest community to us, and a lot of the other communities are too small for us to trade with."

"I don't know how to help. Carver's in charge, and I don't see how we can change his mind." He noted.

Standing there in silence, Edith appeared in thought before she stared at him, keeping her gaze as she pointed out. "That's why he has to go."

"Wow, why didn't I think of that?" Lee replied sarcastically. "Do you even know how many people stand behind him?"

"Yeah, but that's out of fear, not loyalty. Think about it. You go back with Luke, tell everyone the truth, people are gonna see what their leader truly is." She explained, leaning against the back of the couch.

Unconvinced, Lee continued to argue against the idea. "These people have already seen their leader do some pretty messed up shit. I don't put a lot of faith in them now. Besides, they'll most likely drag me to Carver's office and then that's that. Gone."

Edith was put off by that, and wasn't able to say anything else when the radio in Lee's pocket came alive, shocking both of them. Pulling it out, he looked down at it as he pressed the button, listening carefully as a female voice whispered through it. "Lee? Are you alright?"

"Alicia?" he muttered, bringing the radio closer to his mouth as he responded. "I'm here."

"Oh, thank god." She sighed in relief, a small pause coming afterwards as she explained. "I had to wait for Carver to leave his office, but he left his radio on the desk. I just wanted to make sure you were alive. Everyone is really worried about you and Luke."

"Don't worry, we've dodged the herd and are camping in a trailer park for the night. We'll be back by morning, but…" he trailed off, glancing up at Edith as she just watched, wondering if he should tell her.

The silence seemed to have worried her, and she quickly begged him. "What? Lee, what's wrong?"

"Luke turned on me." He confessed, glancing out of the window, watching the snow continue to fall as he carried on explaining. "Carver gave him the order to kill me, and pin it on the herd coming in. I would be dead if it weren't for Sarah."

"You found her? Is she alright? I've been worried about her." Alicia asked, relief evident in her voice as she quietened down, her voice soft as she asked. "Is Luke… is he dead?"

"No, just injured. Sarah shot him, but she missed anything important. He'll live." He sighed, unable to stop the anger coming up in his voice at that.

Picking up on it, she softly consoled him. "I know this is difficult right now but we have to do something. Our community is dying. Kate's sick, we have no medicine to save her, or for Christa when she gives birth. Things have to change, and I don't think it'll happen with Carver in charge."

"A woman who found us told me that. She's from Wellington, and the whole reason Howe's is going through a medicine crisis is because Carver refuses to trade with them." He snapped, angered learning how bad things were going for the community. Alicia could only utter a small gasp, and fell silent, causing Lee to panic slightly as he called down the radio. "Alicia? You alright?"

"I thought we were safe here, but this is just another nightmare." She replied, grief laced in her words as she took in a shaky bread. "I don't know what to do. My daughter… I can't lose her. Not her."

"It'll be alright. Does anyone else feel like this about him?" he asked, noticing Edith raise an eyebrow at his question. The plan before seemed far-fetched to actually achieved, but if anyone would know what people thought about their leader, it was Alicia.

"Yeah, a lot of people. No one really stands with him, we just fear him. That's no life." She explained.

"Alright," he started, glancing down the hallway when he heard a soft whimper of pain from it, a short pause before he carried on explaining. "I need you to tell my group that I'm alright, and to gather people. I'm coming back tomorrow and confronting Carver on what he's done. Hopefully, people will be on our side."

"Alright, I can do that." She agreed, before her voice dropped in volume. "He's coming back. I have to go, but please I need to ask you a favour."

"What is it?" he asked, feeling somewhat unnerved by the request.

"It's Riley. She escaped after Bill called all scouts back to Howe's in time with the herd, and now she's out there on her own." She explained, quickly turning to begging Lee. "Please, if you find her, bring her home. Let her know Sarah is safe, that'll calm her down."

"Will do. See ya, Alicia." With that, he let go of the button and pocketed the radio once more, worry gnawing at him with the thought of that young teen running around out there, on her own and with a herd on the way. There was no way he could go out and find her, otherwise he'd run into the herd himself, and that was a risk he wasn't willing to take.

Slowly, he moved away from the window, turning to Edith as he asked. "When are you planning on leaving?"

"The car is nearly fixed, so hopefully in a day or two. We just gotta find some fuel. All the ones here have been scavenged already by Howe's." She explained, an idea clicking when she paused, glancing away as she asked. "You wanna make a deal?"

"What sort of deal?" he asked, wary of it.

"We'll come back with you and Luke to Howe's, tell everyone that the medicine crisis they're going through is because of their leader. When the mess is sorted, you give us some of your fuel so we can get home." She offered, uncrossing her arms as she added. "I need to help my people. This alliance could be the thing we both need."

"I see what you're saying." He confessed, liking the thought of joining forces with Wellington to help his friends. Nodding, he accepted. "Alright then. You help me with Carver, and I'll make sure your group has enough fuel to make it back to Wellington. Maybe even start trading when we get everything sorted."

He fell silent suddenly, his face grim as he thought deeply, ignoring Edith's sympathetic looks as he asked her. "Will you take care of Sarah? She's still only a kid, I want her to have the best in this world. I promised her dad that."

"I promise. Sarah'll be safe with us." She agreed, glancing down the hallway as she changed the subject. "You wanna talk to Luke? Make sure he understands how it's going down?"

"Yeah, I'll do that now." Lee nodded, walking down the hallway with the female survivor in tow, the both of them in silence as they neared the door, everything quiet from behind it. Slowly, he opened it and peered inside, seeing some bedrolls laid on the floor, a wardrobe standing in the corner by the unboarded window, showing the forest in the distance.

Light poured into the room through the window as well as the skylight above, snowflakes dotting across the glass. Glancing around, he saw Luke lying on one of the bedrolls, another man kneeling beside him as he observed the injured party. Staring at his face, he could clearly see the pain over his pale features, his eyes shut tight whilst his leg laid there, fresh bandages replacing the blood-soaked ones that Sarah administered back in the museum. The doctor beside him, Huan, glanced up when he heard the door opening, his eyes narrowing until he spotted Edith, adopting a more softer tone as he greeted. " _Péngyǒu xiàwǔ hǎo._ "

" _Hāi_." Edith replied, giving the man a soft smile before she turned back to Lee. "Huan doesn't speak very good English. He came from Beijing for his daughter's wedding just before this all started..." She explained, moving closer to the doctor. " _T_ _ā hái hǎo ma_?"

Whilst Huan explained in his native language, Lee stood there dumbfounded, surprised that Edith could talk in another language that fluently. When he finished his explanation, he glanced up at Lee as she did, and she smiled at his look. "I was a translator before all this. I learned spanish, french and mandarin for my work, but I guess this is the best I can do with it."

"I just never thought you were a translator. It must have been difficult learning all those languages." He simply replied, glancing down at Luke as he adopted a more serious look. "So what did he say?"

"He couldn't do anything about the pain, Luke's gonna have to deal with it, but it's better than being dead." She sighed, standing up as she talked to Huan again, Lee watching as he nodded and stood up as well. Walking past Lee, Edith paused, the doctor leaving the room, and muttered. "He's all yours."

"Thanks." With her gone, he moved towards Luke in complete silence, kneeling down by his side whilst staring down at his face. Seemingly sensing he's there, Luke's eyes slowly open, squinting when the light from the outdoor world poured in. Closing them temporarily, he listened as Lee finally spoke. "You know what's happened?"

"Shit… I remember me and you standing there, then this pain through my leg. It was almost like it was burning." Luke replied, trying to sit up as he glanced around. "Where are we?"

"At a trailer park, Sarah and her friends brought us here for the night. The herd's gonna be moving through soon." Lee explained, his glare cold as ice as he added. "And when we get back to Howe's, you are going to tell _everyone_ what your dad ordered you to do."

"Lee, please, don't do this." The injured survivor begged, wincing as his leg moved when he made himself comfortable. "You start a war in Howe's, people are gonna die on both sides."

"Look around you, man. People have been dying already! Alex, Dwight, Pete, they all died because of you! How could you?!" Betrayal was evident in his words, his face twisting in disgust as he spat venomously. "You ain't even a man about it. Try to kill people who thought you was their friend! No matter what happens now, things have to change, and they are going to."

"You think I'm happy that all those people died? Pete, he was a shit uncle for Nick, never there for him even before all this. Dwight was the reason you, Nick and Walter were brought here in the first place, and fucking Alex was going to die!" He finally broke, meeting Lee's fierce glare as his voice dropped menacingly. "The medicine that was gonna be used on him? That could have saved another person's life, someone who might have had a chance, so dad made the call to cut him loose. But no… you and his fucking sister decided that you were gonna leave, and _steal_ from us."

"You never even gave Alex a chance." Lee rejected, shaking his head as he paused for a moment, looking back up when he asked. "What did Sarah want to talk to you about?"

Luke was stunned by the question, his face losing all of the anger and pain from just then and instead fear, his eyes dropped when he confessed. "Carlos. It was my fault that he got killed."

"...What?" he gasped.

"I was the man on the inside for dad, ever since the beginning. No one else knew, Carlos, Pete, even Nick, they thought that I finally saw him for what he was. I relayed what they said back to him, and when the plan for our first escape came up, he told me to along with the plan until he could catch them in the act." Luke paused, anger flashing over his dull eyes as he recounted bitterly. "But it was a shitshow. George caught us trying to leave and Carlos… just shot him dead."

"How can I trust you?" Lee asked, eyeing the injured party up suspiciously. "All you've told me since I met you was lies. Why should I buy this pity act?"

"Because Nick saw it too. Sarah, she was already outside with Pete when it happened. Her dad was a killer, and she didn't know a damn thing about it. When I told her just before, she wouldn't believe me, but you could see it. See the doubt, the realisation that her father was a fucking murderer just like the rest of us." A dropping sensation could be felt in Lee's gut, unnerved by how cold and ruthless Luke sounded. It didn't match up to the Luke he knew before, the one who fucked up but had his heart in the right place. That wasn't right.

"Did you have anything to do with Carlos' death?" he asked, keeping a hard stare on him. "Luke, do you?"

"Yeah. She told you, about the bandits that attacked her dad and were fought off by us? Well, they fucked him up real good, and their friends followed after him when he and Sarah ran." Luke paused, watching as Lee appeared more unnerved by the second. "I saw the whole thing. How they beat him to death, and yet the stubborn fucker didn't die. Lying on the floor, in his own blood, they thought he was dead and went to find his daughter. No… He got up, stumbling and barely able to walk. So I came out, and I stuck a round in that bastard's chest."

"Jesus Christ… you're no better than Carver." Lee insulted, feeling nothing but disgust for him.

"Don't tell me you never killed someone for revenge." The image of him choking the Stranger to death appeared in his mind, the way the light fled from his eyes, and he felt distraught at how good it felt to kill the bastard for taking Clementine from him.

"What I did is different." He replied, trying to convince himself as well as Luke, frowning when it seemed that had no effect on him. "I didn't betray my friends to get it. The man I killed destroyed everyone I cared about, until it was just me left."

"That's what I told myself. You know, sometimes it scares me how I can do fucked up shit and still sleep at night. That's when you know that nothing will ever make this world better, not anymore, so why keep trying?" Luke asked, leaning against the wall as he carried on. "People you love die. At the beginning, I thought I could do some good, and it turns out that's not possible anymore. There's just… no point anymore."

"I don't care about your feelings, Luke. Not anymore. So, when we go and face Carver tomorrow, the community can decide what to do with you." With that, Lee stood up, not wanting to be in the same room as the lowlife anymore. Swinging the door open, they spared no more words as he slammed it shut, feeling wood vibrate with the force he put in.

Standing there, he just stared at the floor, feeling the anger from the conversation boiling his blood. Carlos' corpse jumped into his mind, and knowing how it happened, he felt sick to his stomach, glancing back up whilst mumbling to himself. "Sarah..."

"What'd he say?" Edith asked, appearing from behind the corner when Lee walked down the hallway, staring at the door as she added. "Did he tell you something?"

"Only what he told Sarah. All this time, and it was someone I thought she could trust." Lee sighed, pausing in his steps.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she could only offer a small smile as she consoled him. "You're not to blame for that, Lee. Some people just change in stressful times. You can't save everyone."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I couldn't try…" he pointed out, before changing the subject. "It's starting to get dark now. Where'd you guys sleep?"

"Here, I'll show you." Edith offered, walking over and opening the door leading outside, exiting the trailer with Lee close by. The skies were turning dark grey, the light quickly disappearing with the sun dipping behind the line of trees, the sounds of distant growling causing his hairs to stick up on the back of his neck. The herd was coming.

Walking down the steps, he took a right with Edith as she explained. "With the gates locked, the walkers should just pass by without trying to get in. We just buckle down for the night, and hope they're gone by morning."

"Hopefully…" they fell into silence once more, Lee spotting Sam sitting on some steps leading up to another trailer, a light shining inside that could be spotted through one of the windows, likely a candle or torch. With his hand in his pocket, he sat there shivering whilst a cigarette was held in his other one, puffing out a plume of smoke when he spotted the duo walking towards him.

Taking another drag, he let the smoke sit in his lungs before coughing, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as he tried to speak. "You heading off to bed?"

"Yeah. Got a long day tomorrow." Lee nodded, watching as Sam continued to smoke below him. "How's Sarah?"

"...I don't know." He confessed, smoke rolling out of his nostrils as he shook his head. "After that talk with your friend, she just laid down on the bedroll and… wouldn't say anything. I don't think it's a good idea to disturb her.

"I want an eye kept on Luke, Sam." Edith ordered, taking his cigarette and throwing it in the snow. "And you know how I feel about you smoking."

"Damn, that was my last one!" he whined, watching the embers quickly die. With a heavy breath, he stood up, wiping the snow from his pants as he walked past them. "Alright, alright. I'll be on guard duty. Just make sure you actually swap with me tonight, I don't want what happened back home to happen here."

"Alright." She agreed, turning back to Lee as she explained. "There's a couch in there that you can sleep on. I don't know what you're used to in Howe's but, considering Carver, this might be an improvement."

"You don't know the half of it." Lee agreed, feeling fatigue hit him full force as Edith chuckled softly.

"Yeah. Well, get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow." She then turned around and walked back to the other trailer, being watched by Lee as he stood there, shivering slightly before he turned around. Climbing up the stairs, he opened the door, glancing behind him at the trees in the background, frowning deeply as he entered the trailer, shutting the door behind him as he got ready to lay down for the night.


	29. Seeking Justice

The cold winds of winter blew harsh over Lee, causing him to shiver violently as he woke up, clinging to his jacket, his tired eyes cracking open only to spot a small campfire in front of him. Confused, he sat up whilst glancing around.

 _Something wasn't right._

He felt the air leave his lungs as he realized he was completely alone, sitting on a single bed roll in the middle of nowhere, large trees looming over him with the starry night sky above him, everything around him was nothing but pitch black darkness, the soft light from the dying fire barely highlighting his surroundings. Fear sat in his stomach, twisting it as he looked around, trying to find anyone else, but the entire campsite was empty save for him.

Standing up, his back cracked loudly as he groaned, rubbing his shoulder with a shaky hand as he called out. "Sarah!? Is anyone out there!?"

No reply came. Keeping his hands in front of him for safety as his eyes adapted to the dark, he slowly walked through the fog, his feet crunching in the freshly fallen snow. The temperature seemed to drop with each step he took and the wind was so strong he swore it was pushing him back, his breath was visible in front of his face and he couldn't feel the tips of his fingers anymore. He knew should stay close to the warmth of the fire, but he had to find his friends, that was the only thought that made him force himself to keep going.

Unsure where he even was or how he ended up there in first place, he tripped over when his foot slipped on something, quickly putting his hands forward to stop himself from colliding with the ground, the freezing bite of the snow and small rocks covered by it hurting his palms and fingers and hitting his knees. Kneeling there, he tried to catch his breath, feeling the icy air freezing his lungs and throat with every breathful.

"The hell was that?" He grunted as he tried to stand up, his feet finding it difficult to grip the slippery ground. Turning his head, he spotted a torn piece of blue fabric in the snow, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion whilst he brushed more snow off it, seeing more of the fabric until he finally grabbed it. Wrenching it out of the snow, he holds it up and that's when his stomach drops.

Sarah's jacket. The sleeves were torn to shreds, frozen half solid and the old blood stains were barely visible under the large splatter of fresh blood. A large gaping hole was torn into the front of it, destroying the zipper, along with the bottom frayed from what looked like burns. Keeping it in his hands, he glanced around in a panic, trying desperately to find her in the pitch darkness, his voice echoing in the inkinesss as he called out. "Sarah?! Please, answer me!"

But her voice didn't reply. Without giving it another thought, he rushed out into the darkness, pushing the branches out of his way as he ran through the forest. The light from the campfire disappeared, and it felt like he was walking on air, unable to see anything even if it was right in front of his face. He kept running, ignoring how his legs ached and his breathing worsened, slowing down as he looked around. Unable to see anything, he could only pant loudly, turning around on his heels whilst panicking. A harsh bark was all remained of his voice, calling loudly in the dark. "Anyone?!"

Standing alone, he finally stopped looking around, seeing no one there with him. Worried, on his own, and feeling the cold starting to get to him, Lee couldn't even find the campfire anymore. Falling to his knees, he curled in on himself, holding his knees close in a desperate attempt to preserve what little warmth he had left. Freezing, he shivered quietly to himself, making no attempt to move when he glanced up, his eyebrows furrowing when he spotted something standing in the distance. Trying to focus through the haze, his mouth fell open while his eyes widened, finally able to see the object clearly.

Clementine...

She wasn't a walker this time yet her skin looked as sickly pale as theirs, soulless dark eyes stared deeply at him through the fog, she didn't have her hat on, making the gaping bullet wound right on the center of her forehead stand out even more, and even with no expression at all on her face, Lee could feel an immense sadness radiating from her as guilt quickly began to build up within him.

"Sweet pea..." he whispered as she started to approach, his vision darkening with every step the little girl took, along with the unbearable sound of static resonating louder and louder, banging against his temples.

"Please… Stop!" he begged as Clementine ignored his pleading, eyes still fixed on him.

When she was no more than a foot away from him, she ceased in her walking, instead just staring down at him whilst he laid there, confused and grief-stricken. He wanted to get up, to hold her in his arms and never let go, but his body was frozen, and the sight of her made him want to run away just as much as he wanted to stay. She extended her hand as if she was offering to help him up.

Before he could do anything, his body suddenly felt like it was shutting down, the feeling in his arms and legs disappearing, and slowly but surely, his eyes started to close, the darkness around him encroaching further into his vision. After what it seemed an eternity of lying there, the darkness finally engulfed him, and it was like he never existed. He wondered if anyone was there to notice him gone, or if everyone had abandoned him, died or disappeared like the friends he had tried so hard to protect did.

Despair filled him, and he couldn't bring himself to move. However, he heard a small voice calling out, his eyes opening to stare in the darkness. "Lee… Lee… Lee!"

" _Clem..."_

The feeling returned to his body, and the darkness suddenly burst into light, blinding him as he shut his eyes quickly. Someone shaking him could be felt, and when he opened his eyes once more, the blurry vision of his surroundings came into focus.

"Lee, wake up!" Sarah was peering over him, concern on her face as she backed away once more, allowing him to sit up leisurely. Groaning, he cracked his back and sighed loudly, rubbing it in pain after spending the night sleeping on the lumpy couch. He thought the beds in Howe's were bad, but the uncomfortable furniture he was sitting on was somehow worse.

Stretching out, groaning under his breath, he looked around in a hazy panic, unsure of where he was. The nightmare felt just as real as anything he had encountered, and he was sure his hands lost all feeling, the frost creeping on his back before he shook it off. Sarah watched him calm down, worried eyes behind her damaged glasses until he finally mumbled to her, half-asleep. "Is something wrong, honey?"

"Edith just woke me up. There's someone at the gate that wants to meet with us, we think they're from Howe's." She explained, glancing behind her as said woman moved into his line of vision, her gun in hand as she watched silently. Lee just stared at her momentarily, trying to figure out what she was saying through the thick haze of sleep, and when it finally clicked, his face fell grim as she added. "What if they try to take me back?"

"Don't worry, Sarah. I won't let that happen." He consoled, taking a sneak peek at Edith as she stood there, a worried look on her face as she stared back at the sleepy survivor.

Walking closer to them, she voiced her thoughts, adopting a small smile as she piped up. "I don't think it'll be that bad, Sarah. It's only a girl there, from what Sam told me."

Confused, Lee swung his long legs off the arm of the couch, still staring at Edith as he stood up, maybe Al came back for him and Luke. The pain in his back worsened significantly when he did so, and he could only grunt in pain as he hunched over slightly. Sarah stood there, concerned about him as he was unable to move for a moment. Pushing through the pain, he just straightened himself once more, and turned to Edith whilst asking. "He mention anything else about her?"

"Not really, but I could hear her shouting from the background noise on my radio. She seemed pretty agitated." The last sentence was spoken with caution, and her eyes glanced out of the window, not even looking at Lee as she added. "I don't think she'll cause too much trouble, not with Sam and Huan at the gates, but I'm worried that she's hurt."

"We better get going then." Lee pointed out, watching as Sarah nodded in agreement and walked to the door, opening it quickly as she left the two adults alone. She seemed preoccupied, almost worried about something, and it wasn't just Edith that was concerned for the child, Lee piping up as he watched he walking down the path. "Something's wrong."

"She was like that when I woke her up. Maybe she knows something?" The female survivor suggested, glancing over at Lee as she too walked over to the door, quickly adding with an urgent tone. "At any rate, we should see who this new arrival is. Come on, Lee."

Following after her, both of them exited the trailer, closing the door behind him to make sure none of the snow and frost got inside. No fresh snow seemed to have fallen during the night, but the freezing winds were still blowing through the trailer park relentlessly, causing chills to run up his spine whilst he shivered violently. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he walked in silence whilst listening to the sound of their shoes crunching through the solid snow, leaving footprints behind them as they followed after Sarah.

Staring at her back, he remembered his dream from before and stared at the fabric, almost seeing torns being made in it just then, before shaking his head to free himself of the nightmares. Opening his eyes once more, he sighed softly when her jacket appeared intact. Spotting the pistol in her waistband, he felt both relieved that she had something that she could defend herself with, but also disgusted to see such a young child having to carry around a weapon.

Quietly, he listened as Edith asked him. "So… When we go back to Howe's, what are you planning on doing?"

"Showing everyone what kind of leader they got. With luck, I can make the community a better place for its people, even if it's too late to help Sarah." He explained, pausing as he turned his gaze back on Sarah, his voice softer as he confessed. "If anything, I'm glad she'll have a chance at a better life."

"I know. If it's any consolation, I think you did well helping her grow up. If she didn't know how to defend herself, I don't know what me and Sam would have found in the museum." Edith replied, her face falling grim at the thought. Lee didn't want to think about it, he already panicked over what he would have found when he left Howe's to begin the search.

Turning right, the three of them walked through the trailer to get passed the barricade separating the two halves of the trailer, Sarah keeping the door open for Lee and Edith, only starting to walk again when the older woman grabbed the door and nodded. Entering it, he tried his best not to look at the corpses he spotted yesterday, noticing that Sarah was doing the same thing as she quickly exited the trailer, wanting to get out of that situation so badly that she didn't even wait by the door for the adults. Instead, Edith grabbed hold of the door, keeping it open for Lee to leave before following after him.

Closing the door behind them, the two shared a pitying look before the distant sound of shouting brought their attention back, Lee staring off at the gate with a worried expression. Edith wasted no time running the rest of the way, concerned for the safety of her brother, leaving Lee behind as he just stood there in a stump. After a few seconds, he cursed under his breath and ran after her, not seeing Sarah anywhere whilst hopping over the play area's fence, weaving through the playing sets before he reached the gate. Spotting Huan and Sam standing there, he heard a young voice call out.

"Where are they?!" the voice called out, turning an aggressive turn when she demanded the two grown men. "I swear, if you guys fucking hurt them-!"

" _Kid_ , calm down! We ain't done anything, my sister's bringing your friends out now!" Sam replied, glancing behind his back to see Edith and Lee walking up, lowering his voice as he sighed in relief. "Thank god you two are here. The kid's getting pretty pissed now, you wanna calm her down?"

Glancing at Edith, Lee heard footsteps behind him and turned, seeing Sarah walking up to them, her face grim as she apologized. "Sorry, I just… needed some space."

"It's alright, honey." Edith brushed off, turning back to Lee as she added. "You best handle this."

Nodding, he started to walk to the gate, peering outside to see the young girl standing there, blood splattered all over her clothes and rubbed on her face. Recognizing that rage-fueled glare, he paused at the front of the gate, watching her expression turn from anger to surprise, and then quickly joy when Sarah followed after him, appearing by his side. The trio stood in silence, a much needed change from the enraged yelling just a second ago, and it went on for a good minute before Sarah called out, her voice shocked yet somewhat hopeful. "Riley?"

"Sarah!" she replied, a rare bright smile on her face whilst she watched the other teen opening the gate, rushing forward and holding Sarah in a tight embrace. "I knew I'd find you."

"How did you find us?" Sarah asked, returning the hug full-heartedly as she buried her face in Riley's shoulder.

Finally, she pushed Sarah away, holding her shoulders tightly as she explained, glancing down at her blood stained jumpy. "When Bill told all the scouts to come back to bunk down for the night, I couldn't stay there, not knowing you were out here on your own. So, I snuck out. Luckily I covered myself in walker guts. Slipped right through the horde."

"Where is it now?" Lee asked, worry gnawing at him as Riley turned her attention to him. "Please, are my friends alright?"

"Last time I saw them, they were being locked in the Pen for the shutdown period. The herd has moved to the west now, so the community should be safe now. The damage done though, I can't really say." She seemed guilty after saying that last part, adopting a softer tone as she added. "I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you anything else."

"It's not your fault, Riley." Lee responded, adopting a sad smile as the thought of his friends locked in the freezing pen, the horde surrounding the community, unsettled him. Hiding his emotions, he noticed Sarah glancing up at him, a guilty look on her face whilst Riley glanced at the open gate, staring at the forest surrounding the trailer park.

"We shouldn't run into the bulk on our way back, but we might find stragglers. If you guys rub yourselves with this, it'll stop them from detecting you." Pulling out a bottle full of blood, she noticed Lee's grimace and smirked. "It's easier than finding a walker to gut."

"Riley…" Sarah started, getting more upset when her friend turned around to face her with a confused look, trying her best to find the easiest way to break it to her. "I'm… I'm not going back to Howe's."

A short laugh came from Riley, a confused smile on her face as she glanced between her and Lee, noticing him adopting the same grim look as Sarah. Slowly, her smile fell, and all she could manage was a weak. "What?"

"These people took me in when I ran away from Howe's. They come from a community up north, Wellington, and they've offered to take me back with them when they repair their car. After what happened with dad…" Sarah paused, staring down at Riley's hands that had intertwined with hers. "I can't stay there. I hope you understand why."

Riley appeared in thought, staring down at their fingers just like Sarah did, and Lee was surprised she didn't rip them away in anger. In fact, Riley was almost gentle in nature when she was around Sarah, soft and deliberate in her movements that was a stark contrast to the distrustful and aggressive teen Lee was used to. Glancing at Edith, he noticed her watching the duo with a genuine smile on her face, warm and bright whilst Sam crossed his arm, noticing Huan moving to Edith's side and wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

Softly, he heard Riley reply with certainty. "If you're going up north, then I'm coming with you."

"What? Riley, are you sure?" Sarah asked, finally looking back up at the other teen with a surprised expression on her face, eyes wide yet a small smile on her face as Riley nodded. "But… what about Howe's?"

"What about them? There's nothing there for me anymore, and I'll most likely get disciplined by Bill if I go back. I was willing to risk all of it to find you again." She brushed off, following Sarah's gaze as the both of them looked up at Edith.

With a pleading look, Sarah asked the older woman. "Please, can she come with us?"

Staring at the two teens, Edith appeared unsure on what to say, but relented when she saw Lee watching her, silently begging her to take care of the orphaned kids. With a sigh, she nodded. "Our community can support two kids, I guess."

"Edith…" Sam muttered, catching Lee's attention as he neared the adults, all of them allowing Sarah and Riley to talk about different matters when he continued. "We'll already be in trouble for bringing Sarah along, now we have another kid with us. Another mouth to feed."

" _Wǒmen bù fàngqì xūyào bāngzhù de rén!_ " Huan shot back, crossing his arms as Sam just stood there in confusion, looking at Edith for clarification.

With the same stern look as the doctor, she berated him. "He said we don't abandon people in need, and I agree with him. Riley and Sarah won't take much room or resources, and I can't live with myself if we send them back to live under Carver."

"I know, it's just hard nowadays. All I want is to protect our people, especially after Christa…" Sam fell silent, though the name coming from his words grasped Lee's attention, the latter turning to face the saddened survivor as he stood there.

"Look, this ain't none of my business who this Christa is," he started, though he couldn't deny that he was curious. "All I want is to make sure Riley and Sarah are taken care of when they go to Wellington with you guys, that's it."

"I'll try my best. If we can't set up trading with Howe's, we gotta turn our attentions to other communities, but they're in different states across the country." Edith explained, shaking her head as she snapped slightly. "We need food, water, anything now."

"It ain't gonna happen with Carver in charge. You gonna tell Riley about what he planned for you?" Sam asked, glancing behind him as he added. "Luke's been tied up and with that leg, he ain't getting very far."

"You guys tied Luke up?" Riley suddenly asked, walking towards the group of adults with a confused look. Sarah was right behind her, an upset expression on her face as she stared past the group, rather focusing on the trailer that Luke was being kept in.

Lee took a moment before replying, crossing his arms as he revealed the truth to her. "Yeah, he is. I ain't gonna lie to you, Riley, but Luke did a really stupid thing."

"Knowing him, that doesn't really surprise me." She shot back, a deadpan look on her face as she guessed sarcastically. "What'd he do? Shoot himself in the foot?"

Grimacing, Lee shared a look with Sarah, both of them knowing how close to the truth the other teen was, before he shook his head. "Carver… he ordered Luke to kill me, and blame it on the herd that was closing in on us."

"What?" she gasped, shock completely replacing the previous bored expression on her face, before her gaze dropped to the floor as she muttered. "Jesus. Why the fuck would he do that?!"

"It turns out, he was the one that ratted us out to Carver when Sarah's group first escaped, and almost got me and Nick killed." Lee continued, watching Riley getting more angry at the betrayal, his voice dropping in tone when he finished. "Carlos' death is on him…"

Turning back to Sarah, Riley stood there for a moment, staring at the other teen's saddened face, before pulling her into another hug, keeping her close as she whispered softly to her. "I'm so sorry, Sarah."

"He's gone. He's really gone, Riley." She sniffed, closing her eyes as her head rested on the other's shoulder.

Watching them, Lee couldn't help but feel sympathetic to them both, seeing how dealing with this world had took everything out of them. Any resolve, the hope of a better future, it was beaten out of them with the hard journey for survival, the loss of their loved ones. Thinking about him returning to Howe's, ready to help the people living there, he finally spoke up once more, addressing Riley as he told her their plan. "We ain't gonna let him get away with this."

"What you planning?" she asked, releasing Sarah from her hold and turning back around to face the tall man, crossing her arms as she listened.

"I already contact Alicia, she's gonna be gathering people that are tired of the way Carver's running things. All of us, we're gonna go back to Howe's and settle this shit." He explained, noting the concerned look on her face as he added. "Edith and the others are coming with me to tell the community about Carver refusing trade, and that means you and Sarah are not safe staying here, but it's up to you what you guys wanna do."

Sarah seemed unwilling to go back, shaking her head as she begged. "Lee, I can't go back there. Seeing Nick, Christa, all our friends, it'll just make saying goodbye so much more difficult."

"I know, and I wouldn't drag you along with us if I had any other choice, but it's dangerous here on your own." Lee insisted, watching Riley nodding in agreement.

"Sarah," she started, turning her head to face the worried teen whilst she started chewing on her thumb, frightened by the idea of facing Carver and her friends. "You're gonna regret not being able to say goodbye. You have that chance now. Please, don't waste it."

Staring up at her, Sarah removed her thumb from her mouth, letting her hands fall down to her side as she then turned to Lee, who could only offer her a small smile as something to encourage her. Nodding slowly, she muttered. "Okay. I'll come with you guys."

"We should set off soon." Edith pointed out, walking over to the trio as she continued. "The car's nearly done, but any fuel we can scavenged is frozen solid. It looks like we're gonna have to walk."

"It'll take a few hours, but at least it's stopped snowing." Lee replied, turning to Sam as he instructed. "You wanna go and grab our 'friend' in the trailer?"

"Sure thing. Be right back." With that, Sam walked off with Huan in tow, likely so that he could check to see if Luke was fit for travelling. Waiting in the freezing cold, he noticed Riley shivering violently, her hands rubbing her arms roughly in a desperate attempt to fight off the frost. Edith noticed her shivering as well, a pitying look on her face as she could do nothing to help, neither of them having anything that would keep her warm.

Looking down at his own leather jacket, he recalled back to when he first met Sarah, having given her his jacket to try and protect her from the incoming winter cold, and decided that Riley needed it more than he did. Slowly, he pulled the jacket off, his thin shirt helping very little in keeping the frost from biting into his flesh. With the warm clothing in hand, he passed it to the shivering teen, watching her as she stared at it in confusion, unsure what he wanted her to do with it. After a moment of silence, he held it out more forcefully, explaining behind chattering teeth. "You ain't good to anyone half frozen to death. Keep warm with this."

"I don't need it." She rejected, looking away whilst he kept holding it out. "Look, I can make it back to Howe's without it. You don't have to look after me."

"I don't have to, but that doesn't mean I'm not gonna anyway." Lee pointed out, nudging her with the jacket as he softly requested. "Take the coat, Riley."

Without a word, and some encouragement from Sarah, the cold teen finally relented and took the coat, putting it on to reveal that it was ridiculously large on her, her hands disappearing into the sleeves. Nonetheless, she seemed better protected from the harsh weather, and Lee could deal with the cold better than she could on the way back to their community. A rogue wind blasted through the trailer park, setting his hairs on edge as he let out a shivering gasp, rubbing his arms whilst the others quietly shook.

Glancing down the road, he muttered in relief when he spotted Luke being led towards them by Sam and Huan, the latter two behind the prisoner whilst he trudged through the snow, his leg still being dragged though he seemed to be able to put more weight on it than yesterday. With arms crossed, he waited for the trio to meet up with them, before he started addressing the whole group. "When we get to Howe's, don't do anything rash. People will know we're coming, and that'll mean that Carver'll know too. Be prepared for anything."

The others nodded at that, listening as he finished. "Alright, let's head out."

The group walked through the open gate, Luke being pushed through with his hands bound behind his back, not sparing a single glance at Lee or Sarah as Sam kept him moving, shooting a worried look at the grown man whilst passing by. Huan and Edith followed after them, the grown woman moving to say something, before she thought otherwise and just kept walking. Left behind, Lee stared down at Sarah, noting her frightened expression as he asked her. "You ready for this, Sarah?"

"I'm… I'm really scared, Lee." She admitted, looking up at him. "I want you to promise me nothing bad will happen, but I know you'll have to lie."

Unsure on what to say to make her better, he closed the gate, offering her a small smile as he replied. "It's alright to be scared. I am too."

Sarah returned the smile, the action small yet genuine for the young teen, before she glanced at the group walking away, her voice quiet as she finished the conversation. "I know we gotta do this, I don't want you doing this by yourself. We were a team once."

"That we were." With the conversation ended, the duo walked off to catch up the group and, all together, they started making their way along the snow covered path through the forest, unsure what would come when they eventually reached Howe's.

The hours seemed to have dragged past when the group continued walking down the path, having passed the memorial at Parker's Run ages ago. Glancing at the plague whilst they were passing through, Lee stared up at the statue, wondering whether he would have another chance to come back to the memorial site, questioning whether Clementine would have liked it or not. Probably not. Either way, the tourist trap was long behind them and, watching the trees passing by slowly, he noticed Luke starting to slow down, his leg dragging more behind him.

Feeling his own legs aching with the long distance they've traveled, he called out to Sam at front, his voice tired and cold. "You see anything up ahead?"

"I dunno, let me just use my binocular vision." He snarked back, his gun held lazily in his hands as he too appeared tired, slowing down as he sighed. "I say we're close."

"We better be. I'm exhausted." Riley grunted, walking behind Edith and Huan as the older woman turned her head, placing an arm around the teen's shoulders as she helped the younger survivor keep walking.

Glancing at all of them, Lee wished that it was the middle of summer rather than deep in winter, the cold biting into his exposed flesh and his thin clothes helping very little in preserving his body heat. The winds picked up drastically, blowing any freshly fallen snow up into the air and in the direction of the group, warning of a likely blizzard forming soon. If that happened, Lee and the others would have to reach Howe's beforehand, otherwise they all risked freezing to death. Wrapping his hands around his arms, he shivered quietly to himself, trying to see through the haze of snow.

Slowly, a blurry figure came into view and, with relief, he heard Sam call back to the group. "Guys, I think we made it!"

"Thank god, let's hurry it up then. It's just going to get worse out here!" Edith ordered, picking up the pace with Riley and Huan by her sides, keeping up with Sam and Luke as they pushed through the final stretch of land between them and the community. Keeping Sarah close, Lee held one of his arms up to shield his face and eyes, staring at the encroaching building that housed his community.

Sarah let out a gasp, freezing despite the thick jacket she was given by Lilly, her hands shoved in the clothing's pockets in a bid for warmth. She didn't oppose being kept close to Lee, rather in fact shoving herself closer in an attempt to get some shelter from the snow blowing at them. Glancing down at her, she didn't try to meet his gaze, instead just focusing on walking forward. Soon, they reached the gate, and Lee noticed the few guards standing on top of the wall, having spotted the group approaching from the tree line. Glancing up, he recognized one of the guards to be Joel, the man almost unrecognizable due to the balaclava covering his lower face, and called up to him.

"Joel, it's Lee. Sarah and Riley are with me, you gotta let us in before we freeze!" he explained, feeling his teeth chatter as he watched Joel pull his balaclava down, exposing his mouth.

"Alright, I'll get someone to open the gates, but be quick about it! The storm's only gonna get worse from here on out!" With that, he pulled out his walkie talkie, his gloved hand shaking as he spoke into it, the words lost to Lee and the others as they could barely hear anything over the roars of the wind.

Standing out there for a good minute, they were relieved when the gates were opened to them, Luke being pushed in by Sam as the rest of the group followed. With the gates closing behind them, Lee watched as Joel came down from his post, walking up to them with a shocked tone. "Jesus Christ, what's going on here?! What've you done to Luke?!"

"That's something we can discuss inside," Lee snapped, fixing Joel with a glare as he added. "Radio your boss. Tell him to come and meet us in the main building on the ground floor."

Confused, Joel did as he was told, pressing the button on the radio as he spoke into the mouthpiece. "Bill, you there? I got Lee and the others back inside the walls, but something's wrong. You might wanna meet us in the main part of the building, ground floor."

Waiting for their leader's reply, him and Lee shared a glance before Carver replied, his voice crackled in the radio feedback. "I'm coming down now."

After that, the radio died down, and Joel listened as Lee instructed him. "Good, now radio Alicia and tell her that the plan's started."

"Lee, I don't understand." He replied, before a cold stare made him obey, calling into the radio. "Alicia? Hey, you there?"

"I'm here, what's up?" she immediately responded, worry laced in her words as she added. "Joel, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Lee's come back though, and he wanted me to tell you that the plan's started." He explained, waiting for her reply. There was no reply however, and instead the radio died. Staring at it, Joel pressed the button and spoke into it. "Alicia? Alicia, what's going on?"

"Lee, it'll be done. Just give us five minutes." Alicia responded, talking directly to Lee whilst ignoring Joel's questions, before the radio died down once more. Staring at it, Joel glanced at the group beside him, concern on his face as he then shifted his gaze to the main building.

With a soft voice, he questioned them. "What the fuck are you guy's planning?"

Saying nothing, the group followed after him as the guard led them up the path, no one standing in the front area to see them entering. Allowing the group to go through first, Joel quickly followed after them as they made their way into the main part of the building, Lee taking lead as Sarah walked confidently beside him, her voice quiet as she noted. "There's hardly anyone here."

"I know. I don't like it, stay on your guard." Lee instructed, watching as she kept a hand near the pistol in the back of her waistband, frowning deeply as he heard footsteps coming from up ahead. Standing tall, he didn't waver when he saw the guards coming down the steps, filling the area along with the workers and other survivors that lived in the community. Spotting Christa amongst the people, he smiled warmly as she appeared relieved, happy to see that he was still alive, and that Sarah was with him, the young teen returning her smiles with a small, genuine one.

It wasn't long before most of the people in the community, including the rest of Lee's group, filled the main part of the ground floor, Carver finally appearing as he walked through the crowds. With an unwavering glare, Lee watched as the leader made his way towards them, stopping a few feet away from Lee as the two stared each other out, Carver's gaze only shifting once to see his bound and wounded son standing there. Slowly, with an angered voice, he demanded answers. "What have you done to my son?"

"The same thing he would have done to me." Lee revealed, increasing his volume so that the rest of the community could hear him. With one last look at the leader, he warned him before he started his accusations. "You brought this one yourself. Now, this community is gonna see you for what you really are."


	30. Rebellion

Everyone was silent, staring at Lee and his group as well as Carver, the community spread out with some watching from the staircase, and other peering down from the floor above. Lee stood there, giving Carver heated glares whilst the leader stood there, trying to look like he had no idea what Lee was going on about. Sarah stood close, and when Carver turned his gaze to her, she refused to back away, to look at the ground like she did the last time they saw each other. Rather, she stood her ground, and like Lee, she was angered by his actions to her community, her friends. Even when he neared her, she didn't move away, rather flinched slightly as Lee stood in front of her slightly, a protective side showing through as he glared at the leader.

With a faux friendly tone, he welcomed the young teen. "Sarah, I'm glad that we managed to find you again. Everyone was worried about you."

"Don't. She came back here because of our friends, and that is why I don't want to listen to you acting like you care about her." Lee rejected, an angered glint to his eyes as he stared the leader down. Sarah backed off, moving closer to her protector, glancing at all the people that had entered the main area of the building.

Lee, keeping Sarah behind him for safety, took in a deep breath and turned to the other survivors. "I've only known a lot of you for a short while. You're good people though, good people who are scared and confused, but this man right here isn't a good person."

Carver's smile faded at that, a deep frown replacing it whilst watching Sarah move from behind Lee, moving closer as the community around her stared down at the teen. Suddenly, she seemed very small compared to it all, and she seemed to have realised it, her hand gripping her upper arm as she stood there, glancing around in fear. Quickly, he saw Riley moving by her side, placing a hand on her shoulder to edge her own. Sparing her a glance, Sarah nodded in silence and watched as her friend addressed the people. "Carver isn't thinking of you guys when he rules. All he cares about is survival, and he doesn't care about how he goes for it so long as he gets it. The things he's done, the things I've seen him do… I don't want a leader like that, and I know that deep down, none of us do."

"Please, listen to her. There is so much more to life than just surviving!" Sarah begged.

"Riley." Carver interrupted, moving closer to her with Riley scowling, the shorter teen putting herself between the tyrant and Sarah, staring up at him defiantly as he continued. "You seem to forget that all I've done, I did for the wellbeing of this community."

"What about all those kids you sent out to die?!" Riley snapped, turning to the others as she finally revealed. "You know what happened out there? All the things I had to do to make sure I didn't die? When we were first kicked out, there was fifteen of us… an-and by the time it was all over… there was eleven. I remember having to cave a friend's skull in to stop him from strangling me to death."

With an angered jab of her finger at Carver, she continued, tears welling in her eyes. "I saw kids, people my age, being torn about by those monsters out there. I had to cover myself in the walker's blood to stop myself from ending up like them. When I came back, this bastard just congratulated me, like I won some fucking school fair. Do you realise what he's done to me? Every morning, waking up in a panic because I still think I'm out there?"

Pausing, her shoulders shook when the tears finally fell, Lee standing there in shock at how broken Riley looked in front of him, watching as she finished her rant, anger clear in her voice. "You all deserve better. We all do. Don't ignore the things he's done, _please._ "

"Riley, I am sorry for what you had to go through. I never intended for it to weigh so heavily on you." Carver apologised, walking past her as he started to address the audience around them, ignoring the heavy glares coming from Lee's group. "You don't understand however, I only allowed these things so that we know that, if something was to happen to this community, the next generation were strong enough to survive."

"You didn't even give us a choice!" Riley snapped, breathing heavily as her anger started bubbling over. "You sent us out there to _die._ Less mouths to feed, less injuries to treat, less fuck ups to see you for what you are. But I can see clearly now, I just wish I saw it sooner. You're a fucking dictator, and this community is better off with you gone!"

"Riley, calm down!" Al snapped, moving from the community as she pointed out. "What happened to you is fucked up, okay. I'm not gonna deny it, but you can't be a little kid anymore. The things out there, they don't give two fucks about it and if the teaching and tests give you the skills to survive, then wouldn't that be better than the alternative?"

"Al, what the fuck is wrong with you?!" One of the guards snapped at her, Lee watching as he shook his head at the words spouted by his friend. People around him yelled out their thoughts, some of them disgusted with Al's excuses whilst others saw where she was coming from, Lee joining in with his thoughts.

"She's just a fucking kid!" he growled, keeping a strong grip on Luke's shoulders as he noticed the young man trying to sneak away. People agreed with his statement, the survivors around Al glaring heavily at her as she tried to ignore them, one of them quickly shown to be Beth and Frank; the woman shaking her head with a deep frown on her face.

"What other alternative are you even thinking of?! Dead?!" Riley shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "If _this_ is the other option to dying, then I would have died with my parents. At least then… they wouldn't have had to see me do the things I've done."

Before Carver could object to her accusations, Lee decided to step in, pushing Luke to the community as he took over. "It doesn't end there, I'm afraid. Once we got the call from Al saying we needed to get out before the herd came down on us, Luke pulled his gun on me and said it was on his father's orders! Sarah saved me."

Turning to Luke, he nudged him hard, watching the young man finally move his gaze from the floor to the crowd. Following his stares, Lee noticed their group in the crowd, all of them shocked with the revelations, but most of all Nick. The young man stood there, shaking his head with his mouth open, almost like he was trying to speak but couldn't find the words, and so he just stared at the traitor as he confessed. "It's true, but do any of you realise how much harder it would have been to keep this community safe with the herd outside? With everyone at each other's throat because of _him_?!"

"You fucking traitor!" Lilly called out, ready to run out and attack Luke when Christa kept her back. Omid moved to help his girlfriend, keeping the enraged woman at bay whilst others stared at the scene, some of the survivors having to stop their loved ones from moving towards both their leader and Lilly. Lee glanced up at some of survivors on the staircase, watching the whole scene below, worried about where this would all go.

"I don't think you can talk about betrayal, Lilly." Carver piped up, staring at her with a knowing look when he pointed out. "You were the one to breach Lee's trust, the trust of his friends, to bring him here in the first place."

Lilly was stunned with that, a guilty look on her face as she glanced over at Lee, spotting him unable to fight Carver on that point. Sarah however, surprised everyone when she pointed out, her voice dropping in a hurt yet angered tone. "Lilly's my friend! All the people in our group are good, honest people who wouldn't turn on their own!"

After the words left her mouth, Lee could see the fear and realisation of what she just said hit her, unable to meet Carver's heated glares as Riley stood by her, keeping close as a way to be there for the young teen. She managed to convince some of the people however, as they started nodding in agreement with what she said, loud agreements coming from the large crowd as Joel scowled, moving closer to Sarah whilst Lee and Riley quickly appeared in front of him.

"People who stole from us just a month ago!" he retorted, crossing his arms as he added. "You all stole medicine that we all needed and leave us to rot! We're going through a goddamn crisis right now!"

"You know why that is?" Edith asked, having been listening to the arguments all that time. Everyone turned to her, confused on who she was. Turning to look at them, her gaze looked over all of them, watching their wary and distrustful faces at the newcomer.

"I'm Edith. I come from a community up north, Wellington. I'm here with Lee because you all deserve to know the truth! The reason you're going through this shortage for medicine and other supplies is because your leader refused to trade with my people! The deaths that've happened, and will happen, are because of him!" she accused, watching shock and disbelief wash over the crowd she was addressing, glances on Carver as they waited for him to say something, _anything_. When he didn't, Lee noticed some of the people breaking down, one particular survivor holding her hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her face, the people around her helping in a grief-stricken state.

"Bill, is this true?" Jack asked, glancing over at the leader with a shocked expression.

Carver didn't reply immediately, rather standing there with a scowl at Edith, the woman returning it as he tried to excuse his actions. "We don't know these people. Do none of you know what happened when we trusted people before? They turned out to be bandits, thieves that wanted our supplies. All those people we lost from the fighting. So I made a decision, and I stick with it."

"Dammit, that wasn't your decision to make!" Jack snapped, moving out of the crowd as he ranted. "Do you even know how many people are in the infirmary right now?! All night I've had to stay up, trying to treat people, saving lives, whilst hoping there was some place out there that could help us! Now, these people are telling me that not only is there such a place, but that you rejected their offerings!"

"Get back in line, Jack." Carver hissed quietly at him, using his larger build to intimidate him. One of the guards moved closer to the leader protectively, their gun slightly raised to keep Jack from coming any closer. He stayed where he was, glancing at the guard with a disappointed look, shaking his head whilst they remained there to keep the peace.

Jack didn't back down, standing up straight with a defiant gaze on him, his eyes narrowed as his voice took a sharp edge. "No. I'm done standing up for you, Bill. No more."

"You forget who the leader is around here!" Carver snapped, poking a finger roughly into the doctor's ribcage. Jack stumbled backwards slightly, readjusting himself as people gasped in surprise, one of them moving to the doctor's side to see if he was alright, unable to meet Carver's gaze as he hissed. "All I've done, I did for the safety of this community! I've kept us safe from the walkers, the bandits and traitors!"

"Then what was Jason?" Lee asked, recalling the father being executed over a month ago. Murmurs could be heard amongst the audience, the adults that adopted Thomas and Connie holding the children close, the teenage girl watching with wide eyes. Carver didn't say a word about that accusation, causing Lee to smirk inwardly at stumping the leader, seeing their chances of getting through to the community getting better and better.

After a moment, having seen his people staring at him, Carver finally explained. "As I told you in the office, Lee, Jason had murdered someon-"

"What about Alex?" Ellie interrupted, people turning around to see her standing with the group, her face contorted in anger as she demanded answers from him. "What's your excuses for that?! Alex didn't hurt no one, never stole, hell I'm pretty sure he didn't even get a parking ticket before this whole shitshow happened! What do you have to say for dragging him out of my arms and shooting him dead like a dog?!"

When Carver didn't immediately reply to that, her anger boiled over as she loudly yelled. "Answer me!"

"Alex was dying. Jack did everything he could but there was nothing left to do. The kick broke his ribs, and his lung was punctured. It was a miracle he survived that long." he explained, turning to the doctor as he deflected the anger. "Isn't that right, Jack?"

"Jack?" Ellie asked, her voice losing most of its sharp edge, rather sounding vulnerable as she stared at him. Lee frowned at the reveal, too staring at Jack whilst he stood there, unable to meet the young woman's eyes. After a few awkward moments, Ellie walked closer to him, her face showing the grief and sadness she was feeling. Finally, she stopped a foot in front of him, Kristina beside her as she put an arm in front of the grieving woman, knowing how quickly that despair can turn to anger.

"I'm so sorry, Ellie." He confessed, meeting her gaze as he continued. "The force to Alex's chest broke several of his ribs. When we got him to the infirmary, I did everything to make sure he wasn't further injured, but… the shattered bone pierced a lung. We were running out of oxygen to give him, painkillers to help with the pain, and the winter meant he was at increased risk of developing pneumonia. I had to tell Carver, and he made the choice to cut him loose."

"You fucking bastard!" Lee's body moved immediately, grabbing hold of Ellie with Kristina to prevent her from assaulting the doctor, her cries of rage almost heart-breaking to hear. Tears flowed down her face, contorted in anger and pain, whilst her hands reached out in an attempt to punch him.

"Ellie," he started, grunting as he tried to keep her under control. "It wasn't Jack's fault, he did everything for your brother! Carver's the one who condemned him, and getting people hurt will solve nothing!"

"He was my brother! He was all I had left and you got him fucking _killed!_ " Ellie screamed, struggling so much that Lee found her slipping out of his grasp. Gripping her winter coat tightly, he glared at Carver as he watched, confident that this outburst would go in his favour.

The outburst got a reaction out the people that neither of them expected. Angered stares could be felt on them, Lee glancing around to see some ready to push past the guards to get to Carver, whilst others close to them grabbed hold of their loved ones. All of them were afraid, confused, and standing in the middle of all of this, he wondered what would happen if this carried on. Spotting his group in the crowd, he saw Walter watching sadly, trying to move to help Ellie when the guards, already stretched thin, kept him in line. Clearly, he could hear frustrated whispers, some of the people shaking their heads in disgust.

"See? All these people do is yell and fight when you go against their views." He pointed out, adding cruelly as he moved to address the crowd. "You really think these people are better to lead this community? They're spineless, unwilling to make the tough choices a leader has to make. Some people have to die for the rest to live."

"Was one of those people my dad?" Sarah asked. People were stunned with this, glancing between the young teen and their leader, him standing there with a frown on his face, his arms crossed as Sarah continued. "Luke was one of us! We trusted him, even my dad! What Luke did… I don't want to believe it."

"Sarah, what did Luke do?" Christa called out, trying to walk towards the young girl when one of the guards, Lee recognizing it as Tess, pointed her gun at the pregnant survivor. The community gasped at the sight, some of the people glancing at each other warily, some staring at Sarah with sympathetic eyes, and others watched as Christa backed off again, glaring daggers at the female guard. Sarah couldn't speak, her eyes staring at Lee with a heartbroken expression, and so he took over to spare her the pain.

With a deep breath, he watched as people around them stared, his voice strong as he confessed. "Luke killed Carlos. When they escaped, Carlos got injured and Luke… he put a bullet in him…"

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Joel gasped, shocked with that as he turned to Luke. "Man, what the fuck did you do?!"

"Carlos betrayed us. He killed George, my brother, his uncle! Luke has rights for justice, as we all do!" Carver tried to derail, seeing more and more people talking with each other, unsavoury words being dropped from their mouths.

Lee frowned at that, his voice piercing as he questioned him. "So, where's their justice?"

"This has gone on for long enough!" Joel objected, turning to Lee as he explained. "We just survived the herd, but we ain't gonna make it through the winter without sorting this whole mess out. I say we put it to a vote!"

The community seemed pleased with the suggestion, and with Lee watching, Joel turned to the others as he called out. "With the evidence shown here, what is the people's vote?"

Nervousness clawed at Lee's insides as he watched the people murmuring to each other, unable to catch any specific word from the cacophony around him. Sarah and Riley had returned to his side, showing the same wariness that he felt, the former holding her friend's hand tightly whilst Joel stood there. Slowly, people started shouting their votes, anger clear in their words, and Lee couldn't understand what they were saying, listening as the guard ordered loudly. "We ain't going anywhere if we all shout at once! One at a time!"

"We want Carver gone!" A survivor watching from the staircase yelled, the people around him nodding in agreement. Counting the people there, Lee could see around seven voting against their leader. Quickly, other people loudly voiced their agreements, all of them turning against Carver whilst another voice yelled out.

"No! He does what others are too afraid to do! We need him to survive through the winter!" Lee frowned at that, and it seemed that not many people agreed with the statement. Muttering under his breath, Joel started to count the people around them, a task considering the size of the community, and the people yelling in rage did nothing to help him.

After a few agonizing moments, Joel paused, a knowing look on his face as he sighed loudly, turning to the other guards. "The people have voted against Carver. Arrest him, we'll keep him in hold until we can decide what to do with him."

"You ungrateful bastards!" Carver yelled, his once smug composure breaking down as he backed away from the approaching guards. The lack of control around them allowed the people of the community to move more freely, Lilly rushing to Lee's side as they watched on. Sarah, pleased to meet her again, allowed a short hug from the woman whilst Lee spared a glance at them, too preoccupied with Carver's rantings. "None of you have what it takes to lead this community! Let the sheep outta the pen, and you're just condemning them to the wolves! Let's see how long you people last without someone to guide you!"

"Get him the fuck outta here!" Joel snapped, turning to Lee as he added. "When he's gone, we are gonna need to talk about the hole left at the top."

Nodding in agreement, Lee replied quietly. "I know. We should let the people-"

" _Lee!_ " He didn't register the force of which something pushed him, the world turning on its side as he collided with the floor. A gunshot rang through the air, quickly followed by screams of horror, one of those voices Lee could recognise as Sarah's. People appeared in front of him, hands helping him up as Christa's voice called out to him.

"Lee! Oh god, are you alright?!" Standing up, he glanced down at his body, seeing no visible wounds and feeling no pain from it. Looking around, he saw that his group were around him, Walter and Nick rushing past him as he could hear Sarah yelling in distress. His heart stopped. Twisting his head around, he wasn't prepared for the scene before him, his mouth suddenly turning dry whilst his eyes widened.

Lilly was lying on the floor, blood pooling around her head whilst Sarah kneeled by her side, tears in her eyes as she looked up at Lee, her gaze quickly shifting to a freed Carver, the gun being wrestled out of his hand whilst another gunshot went off. Lee's heart hammered in his chest, the blood loud in his ears as he saw the bullet shot through one of the guard trying to restrain Carver, piercing through their head and sending blood splattering onto him. That was when the community descended into chaos, people rushing for cover whilst the guards fought amongst themselves, people using any weapons they could find to defend themselves.

Seeing Tess aiming at him, Lee jumped out of the way, his group dispersing in all different directions for safety. Grunting as he hit the ground, he lifted his head slightly only to lower it down, a bullet whizzing past his head as he yelled out in fright. People were rushing all around him, the sound of gunfire and screaming deafening. Quickly, he pushed himself up to his feet, running forward as he stumbled, flinching as the bullets fired continued to miss him. Reaching Lilly's side, he stared down at her face as he despaired. "Jesus Christ, she's been shot!"

"Lee!" A voice called out, him and Sarah looking behind them to see Jack hiding in one of the shops, gesturing for them to come over whilst ordering them. "Bring her over here! I'll try to stop the bleeding!"

Nodding, he and Sarah grabbed Lilly's arms, grunting loudly as they started to pull the body over. Looking around them in a panic, he saw Joel and other guards creeping behind a stand, the former spotting Lee and just giving him a curt nod, shooting at the attackers to protect them. Unable to find Edith, he heard Sarah yelling at him. "Keep going! We're almost there!"

A bullet shot neared his face, cutting through the skin on his cheek and through his ear, the agony burning through his face like wildfire. A short yell burst from his throat, his hand reaching up and pressed against the wound, pulling back for him to see the blood staining his fingers. Sarah, shocked by what happened, desperately asked him. "Oh god, you're bleeding!"

"Keep pulling, we're nearly to safety!" Lee replied, resuming to his task of pulling Lilly's body to safety. Quickly, they reached the store, pulling Lilly into the store as Jack closed the door, cutting them off from the fighting outside. The glass window had shattered from the flying bullets, the glass lying on the floor as Lee picked the injured woman up, rushing to put her on the bed. Backing away, he allowed Sarah and Jack to start work on her, the doctor using fabric torn from left clothes to stop the bleeding.

"Lee, get back out there and stop this!" Jack ordered, his voice turning desperate as he added. "At this rate, we're all gonna die…"

"I'll do my best. Sarah, stay with Jack! You'll be safe with him!" Lee instructed, turning around to leave the shop after she nodded silently, still shocked over what happened. Rushing back out into the chaos, he couldn't stop the shock of what was happening in front of him. People were lying on the floor dying, the blood splattered across the marble floor. As soon as he exited the shop, someone shot at him, his eyes scanning to see Tess rushing for him, gun pointed at him with an enraged look on her face.

"Die, you bastard!" she screamed, aiming the gun at Lee as he jumped to the side, the bullet ricocheting off the hard wall. Still shooting, he crawled behind a bench and potted plants, grunting as bullets flew over his head. Glancing in front of him, he froze as he saw Tess standing in front of him, having rushed to reach the end of the cover before he did. Fear running through his veins, he waited for the finishing blow, but was saved when a bullet pierced through the side of her head.

Blood and brain matter splattered onto the wall, and her body collapsed to the floor. Getting up, he peered over his cover to see Nick nearby, a scavenged gun in his hands as he and Lee shared a look, nodding to him before rushing off to protect the rest of the group. Spotting someone moving in the corner of his eye, his head snapped in the direction, noticing Walter having managed to get to him. "Walter!"

"Lee, are you alright?! You've been shot!" the elder man gasped, surprised to see the deep gash on Lee's face.

Ignoring the pain in his cheek and ear, he just glanced over his cover again, watching the bloodbath happening as he ordered Walter. "Sarah and Jack are in there with Lilly! She needs to get to the infirmary, where the supplies are! Help them get her there, I'll cover you!"

"Okay, just be careful!" With that, Walter snuck over to the shop, entering it as Lee once again looked around, moving closer to Tess's body, the gun by her side whilst she just laid there.

Taking it, he kept it close whilst staring at her shocked expression, her eyes glazed over as they were forever stuck staring ahead. Frowning deeply, he angrily spat at her. "I hope you rot in hell for what you've done."

With a weapon, he noticed Walter, Sarah and Jack exiting the store, the two men carrying Lilly's limp body whilst the young teen held her gun, keeping it close to her when she spotted Lee. Giving her a confident smile, she smiled back, and ran after the two men whilst protecting them, Lee moving along his cover to make sure no one could get them. Aiming his gun, he started shooting at the guards that were moving closer to the doctor and his friends, managing to get one in the abdomen whilst the others retreated to safety. Nick fired at them from a different angle, pushing them back to cover, whilst keeping an eye on Luke beside him. The young man looked terrified, and Lee noticed that his hands were still bound, most likely due to the lack of trust anyone had for him. Suddenly, Edith was beside them, rifle in hand.

"I thought we lost you back there, Lee!" she confessed, firing her rifle at their attackers as she added. "I can't find Carver! The weasel slipped out when the shooting started!"

"I'll find him, just keep them off me!" Lee offered, rushing off to find the disappeared man. Running by the flight of stairs, he glanced around, flinching with the noise happening around him. Some of the survivors, the adults that adopted Connie and Thomas, cowered behind the staircase, holding the children close as they spotted him. Gripping them tighter, they stared up at fear at Lee, Connie shocked to see the blood dripping down his face.

Moving closer, he frowned at the adults keeping the children close, kneeling down as he quietly asked. "You know where Carver's gone?"

"I saw him rushing into the Pen, but I don't know why." Connie revealed, her one arm pointing to the hallway leading to the shut off area. Lee nodded at that, uttering a silent thank you whilst standing up, ready to follow after him when she called out. "Lee? When you find him, make him suffer."

"Will do." And with that, he ran down the hallway after Carver, his footsteps echoing through the space. He felt like his heart was in his mouth, anxiety and adrenaline rushing through his bloodstream, and it only got worse when he turned the corner near the loading bay doors, freezing when he saw that the pen shutters were open.

With his gun clenched tightly in his hands, he kept it raised, slowly making his way over to the shutters. The sound of fighting could be heard behind him, and he wondered how long he had before they did some devastating damage to the community. Entering the pen, he glanced around, walking in further with a confused look on his face. Unable to see Carver anywhere, he lowered his gun slightly, before a devastating blow to the back of his head caused stars to burst in front of his eyes, blinded for a moment when his knees gave way and he collapsed.

Holding his head in his hands, Lee shook it and glanced around, seeing the gun having fallen out of his grip from the blow. Moving to grab the weapon, he gritted his teeth when Carver appeared, kicking the gun across the floor and out of his reach, before bringing his knee to Lee's face. Feeling blood burst out of his nose, he winced as the force pushed him onto his back, his eyes squinting in agony as he glanced up. Standing there with an angered look on his face, Carver moved slowly to the gun as he snapped. "If I knew you were gonna be this much of a pain in my ass, I woulda told Dwight and that to kill you back at the lodge."

"Fuck you, you fucking piece of shit!" Lee grunted, his hand moving to grab his nose, pulling back to see fresh blood. Seeing Carver moving towards the gun, he yelled out in rage, rushing forward and colliding with the leader's side, wrapping his arms around Carver's sides as the both of them tumbled to the floor, the gun kicked away by their scrambling limbs.

On top, Lee pulled his fist back and punched him with all the might he could muster, feeling Carver's jaw clench from the blow. Unrelenting, he continued to deliver blow after blow to his face, grunting loudly from the exertion. Carver managed to grab one of Lee's fist, stopping his assault, and used his other hand to return the punch. Lee grabbed his wrist and pinned it to the floor, the two of them struggling before Carver threw his head forward, colliding it with Lee's mouth. Yelping in pain, his grip loosened on the leader's wrist, allowing him to punch Lee in the side of his face.

The blow forced him to lose his balance on top of Carver, allowing him to shift his body from underneath Lee, throwing the latter to the floor. Groaning from the blows, he rubbed his mouth with his hand, spitting out some blood as he tried to stand up, hearing Carver grunt angrily. Glancing up, he saw him picking the gun off the ground and, without a second thought, rushed for the table. Vaulting over them, he winced at a close call with a bullet fired, crouching down behind the cover whilst Carver yelled out. "Come out and face me, Lee! You've ruined everything, all the things I built from the beginning, you destroyed it! Do you realise what you've done?!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Lee replied loudly, his voice harsh as he added. "You've had this a long time coming, Carver!"

Another gunshot rang through the air, the bullet skimming over the wooden table, leaving a deep gash in the top as it travelled past Lee's head. Crouching lower, he searched the ground in front of him for something, unable to find something. Walking along the table, he listened as Carver continued to rant. "This is it! There's no more running, nowhere else to go! Let's finish this like men!"

Looking underneath the table, he saw Carver walking close to where he was, readying himself. As soon as he appeared in Lee's sights did he rush forward, his hands grabbing hold of the gun and trying to wrestle it from the tyrant's grip. Both of them were locked in a deadly showdown, trying to overpower the other and gain the advantage, Lee using his weight to push Carver along. Stumbling, Carver was powerless when Lee pushed harder, smacking him against the wall hard, the force allowing the latter to wrestle the gun out of his grip, accidentally dropping it when Carver kneed him in the stomach.

Backing off, his hand pressed tightly at his abdomen, dodging when Carver engaged in a fist fight with him. A blow connected to his wounded cheek caused Lee to flinch in pain, unprotected when Carver wrapped his hands around the former's neck, his back pushed into the table with the hands squeezing around his neck. Coughing loudly, Lee's mind ran quickly, trying to look for a way to stop him from being strangled to death. Hands gripped at the attacker's wrists, trying to pull him off, legs kicking out wildly in an attempt to dislodge Carver. He didn't relent however, staring down at Lee with hate-filled eyes whilst he was choking the life out of him.

His vision started to darken, his arms feeling heavy and his heart beating madly at the thought of him dying. Suddenly, he could hear a faint voice yell out, unable to hear much with the loud thudding of blood in his ears, his heart beat audible. Quickly after, he saw Carver yell out in pain, his grip loosening as he turned around to deal with something, before Lee managed to push him off. Coughing loudly, he rolled off the table, unable to do anything whilst his oxygen-starved lungs heaved for air. His vision slowly returned to normal, but his body was weak and unable to go on.

Forced to remain where he was, he watched as Carver turned to his unknown saviour, seeing Sarah standing there, backing away in fear whilst the leader pulled a knife from his thigh, the blood dripping off the blade as he threw it away. Without giving her time to react, his hands gripped her blood stained jacket tightly, lifting her off the ground without much effort and slamming her back into the wall. She cried in pain, unable to fight him off as his hands moved to her neck, slowly choking her as he hissed at her. "I fucking knew Carlos' brat would be more trouble than she's worth. You ain't gonna ruin any of my plans anymore, kid."

" _L-Lee!_ " she called out, her short legs kicking out in a vain attempt to dislodge him, her small hands wrapped around his whilst she was choking. Lee watched in horror, feeling a burst of determination run through him as he forced his body to stand up, legs wobbling slightly whilst he stumbled to her aid. Grabbing the knife that Carver threw away, he growled loudly as he closed the distance between them, shoving the blade deep into the leader's side.

A short gasp came from Carver, his grip loosening on Sarah as she struggled free, running away from him whilst he stumbled away from the duo. Pulling the blade free, Lee watched as Carver's legs gave out, his body falling to the floor. Quickly, he rushed for the gun, picking the weapon up before Carver managed to drag himself to it. Aiming it at him, he watched as Sarah returned to his side, her hand rubbing her reddened neck, the handprints clear on her tanned skin. With a worried look, he quietly asked her. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" she replied, her hand falling down to her side as she stared at Carver, watching him bleed out as she asked him. "What do we do?"

"He dies. It's no more than he deserves." Lee retorted, glaring at Carver whilst he coughed violently. Meeting Lee's gaze, he smirked defiantly, his hand pressed tightly against his bleeding wound.

"Go ahead. Do it, if you got the stomach for it. We all know who you are, Lee, so why not do yourself a favour and stop pretending you're something you're not." He goaded, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth whilst Lee kept the gun aimed at him, his gaze unwavering. Sarah stared at the gun with shock, her eyes wide as she glanced up at Lee, silent as Carver continued. "You go with that gut feeling you got there. It's what'll help you more than anything nowadays."

"You don't know me." Lee shot back, his grip on the gun tightening.

"No? I know you're a murderer, a liar and a thief. It's what you gotta be to survive out there." Carver pointed out, leaning forward before the agony in his side forced him to lean back once more, his arm propping his upper body up. Lee wanted to pull the trigger, to end the sorry sack of shit in front of him, but he was unable to when Sarah lowered his arm. Confused about her action, he glanced down at her as she shook her head.

"Don't stoop to his level." She begged, glancing back at Carver as she added. "People should decide what to do with him. He's hurt so many more than us, it's not fair to take that choice away from them."

"Always the voice of reason. But I ain't going anywhere Sarah…" Carver pointed out, grunting in pain as his breathing became shallow, removing his hand to show her the blood. "I'm gonna bleed out before you get anyone to stop fighting. I'm gonna die, but I sure as hell will take everyone down with me."

Upset by his words, she backed away, unable to look at any of them as Lee agreed. "He' right, Sarah. The people will want him dead anyway, with all the things he's done..."

She sighed, walking away as she explained. "Do what you think is right. I don't want to see…"

Leaving them alone, Lee watched her walk out sadly, exiting the Pen back into the main building, most likely going back to the infirmary where Jack and Walter were. With a cold stare, he turned his attention back to Carver. The blood loss was beginning to show, the older man's face paled and sweaty as his breathing became ragged, sunken in eyes peering up at him as he coughed. "Come on, then… You ain't got the balls to kill another man in cold blood."

"You're wrong." Lee rejected, raising the gun again as he finished. "I ain't killing another man. I'm putting down a dog."

A gunshot rang through the air, and watching the bullet pierce through the front of Carver's face, Lee showed no remorse on his face whilst the body lurched backwards from the blow, slowly falling to the ground with blood pooling around his head. Standing here, smoking gun still in hand, he finally lowered it and continued to stare at the body. After all that time, all the pain and fear for something worse, it was finally over. Relief washed over him, and his body started feeling the fatigue from the fighting and near death experiences. Lugs buckling, he sighed loudly as he kneeled down, moving his legs from under him as he sat, the gun dropped to the floor.

Sitting there, he listened to the environment around him, noticing that the gunshots and yelling have ceased. Confused, he tried to will his body to move, only for it to stubbornly disobey and remain there, forcing him to stay sitting down. Breathing heavily, he groaned in pain as his nose ached, his face in general throbbing in pain, and all he could do was sit there in agony. Quickly, he heard footsteps coming from the area beyond the shutters, not moving his gaze from the body as the steps came closer. Soon, he listened to gasps and quiet whispers as a voice, quickly recognizing it to be Christa's, called out in fear. "Lee, are you okay?!"

She appeared by his side, Omid immediately behind her, and the couple stared at their old friend whilst he sat there, still staring at the corpse. Everywhere felt numb, his limbs feeling heavier and he knew that his body was starting to shut down from the exertion. Turning to face the pregnant woman, he had a small, genuine smile on his face as he softly replied. "It's over, Christa…"

Saying nothing, she glanced up at Omid, the two sharing a look before they finally looked at Carver's still bleeding corpse. Lee felt his vision darkening, his mind disconnecting from the rest of his body as he softly murmured, before falling unconscious. "We're safe…"


	31. Amidst The Ruins

Pain ached through Lee's entire body, his eyes scrunched up as they slowly opened, a low groan coming from his throat. The world around him came into focus and, confused, he glanced around, noticing that he was staring up at a ceiling. Trying to sit up, fatigue washed over his body, causing him to lie back down with a deep sigh. The movement and noise seemed to have attracted attention however, as Sarah's face appeared above him. Worried eyes stared down at him, and he noticed a small scar through her eyebrow, it almost hidden by her glasses' frame. Her voice was quiet when she finally asked him. "Are you alright? You've been out cold for hours."

"Ow. I've felt better, but I ain't dead yet." Lee replied, attempting to sit up again. Successful, he watched Sarah holding her hands in front of him, ready to help if he needed it, and continued to listen as he questioned her. "What happened? I remember Carver…"

"You killed him." Sarah muttered, her face falling grim whilst she shook her head, her gaze falling down to his chest as she continued. "I know why you did it. Carver's hurt so many people, but I couldn't watch another life be taken."

"That's good. I don't want you getting used to it, but it is something that you have to face. Taking a life…Like it or not, you might not have a choice when the time comes." Lee explained, watching Sarah look back up at him, nodding softly to show him that she understood.

"Okay, that makes sense, I guess." She agreed, though she seemed conflicted with what Lee was telling her. With a frown, Lee glanced around the room he was in, noticing he was in fact in the infirmary. People were lying on gurneys, their injuries bandaged and limbs hacked off when they were unsalvageable, their friends and family huddled around them. His gut dropped when he saw Jack weaving through the crowd, checking on a particular survivor when, with a somber expression, he pulled the sheet over the body. The older man standing beside broke down, resting his head on the blanket that covered the deceased's head, their foreheads touching as he wished prayers that Lee couldn't hear.

"Whilst you were out of it, we had to clear up the mess from the fighting. There were so many bodies… I knew a lot of the people that died." Sarah explained, turning around to see Christa helping Jack with wrapping up injuries, the pregnant woman soothing the young child with kind words and soft voices. Lee couldn't see the teen's face, but he knew from her sagged shoulders that the events that happened were weighing on her.

"What's the damage?" he asked, worried about his friends and the good people that lived in Howe's. "Are our friends alright?"

"We all made it through, but…" Sarah trailed off, not looking at Lee as she stared off into the distance, a saddened look on her face whilst she whispered. "Lilly. When she pushed you out of the way, the bullet caught the side of her zygomatic bone and ricocheted off, damaging the temporal bone as well… at least, that's how Jack explained it to me."

"She saved me." Lee muttered, staring down at his hands resting in his lap. Moving his fingers, he winced as the muscles in his arms and hands ached terribly, the skin on his knuckles bruised and cut. Guilt ripped at him, wondering if he could have changed what had happened. If he had paid more attention to Carver rather than talking with Joel, maybe Lilly wouldn't have had to push him out of the way. She could die, and thinking of that made him realise of their relationship so far.

"If she didn't push you out of the way, Carver would have killed you." Sarah pointed out, a small smile on her face in an attempt to help the older man feel better. "I'm sure she was thinking of helping you when she did it."

"Lilly and I were once friends, you know?" Lee started, staring at Sarah as she watched him, an inquisitive look on her face as he continued. "We ran into each other the first few days this all started, down in Macon. We didn't get on very well, her father was mostly the reason for that."

"Why? What did he do?" Sarah asked, hopping up onto the gurney Lee was sitting on, watching him.

"A man I was travelling with, Kenny, his son got attacked by walkers. This woman saved us and brought us into the drug store that Lilly and her group were hiding in. Her dad was an asshole, he thought Kenny's son was bitten, but he wasn't. Let's just say it ended up with Kenny on the floor." He noticed her expression change to shock, and decided to keep going as she sat in silence. "After we moved to this motel just outside Macon, we got on better. She helped me with some shit, and I helped her. After her dad died, she wasn't the same…"

Sarah glanced over her shoulder in the direction of the other patients, Lee following her gaze to see Lilly lying on a gurney, her face covered in bandages. A heart monitor was attached to her, the sound of the machine going _beep, beep, beep_ was almost lost in the agonized wails of the other patients. His face fell at the sight, unable to look anymore as Sarah asked him. "How did he die?"

"It's a long story. We trusted the wrong kind of people, and our friend paid the price for it. When I tried to warn everyone they pulled on us, and we got shoved in a meat locker." Lee sighed, recalling waking up to the shouting and vomiting back at the 's farm, Clementine sitting by his side frightened. "Larry had a heart condition. He wouldn't calm down, despite us telling him to… and he had a heart attack. Kenny made the call to destroy the brain, and Lilly thought we could still save him."

"What did you do?" Her voice quieted, and he knew that she could already guess the ending to his tale.

"I tried to save him. Kenny thought I was being an idiot, that I was gonna get everyone killed, and thinking back… I knew that he was right. No one would know what would happen. I can see where he was coming from, but it all went to shit when he… threw a salt lick on Larry's head." Sarah's face showed her horror at the story, her gaze falling down whilst he sat there, recalling the incident in perfect clarity. The blood that splattered on him and Lilly when the salt lick was thrown on Larry's head, her desperate screams and Kenny's excuses. It would always haunt him.

"He could have been saved! ...C-Couldn't he?" she asked, trying to understand the reasons that Kenny had for killing another person.

Lee shook his head, a somber frown on his face as he explained to her. "Sometimes, you make decisions in a split second, and you gotta live with the consequences for the rest of your life. It's hard, carrying that weight. I didn't envy Kenny for making that decision.

"That's why you killed Carver." Sarah replied, staring down at her own hands. "It was one of those decisions, wasn't it? You had to hurt him to stop him from killing me."

"I did, honey." He agreed. Slowly, she jumped down from the gurney, her back to him as he slowly followed, swinging his legs over the edge, his feet touching the wooden floor. Standing up, he felt his legs ache and wobble slightly, his hand gripping on the gurney for support. Sarah was right beside him, helping him stand up properly as they glanced around, watching the scene going on around them.

"The people that didn't make it are being taken for a cremation outside, a final farewell… now that Carver isn't here to make us put them on the Wall." She explained, crossing his arms as she stared at one of the patients, a young man with his upper arm bandaged, his worn face contorted in pain as he gripped the wrapped wound.

"That's not the only thing that needs doing." Christa suddenly replied, walking over to the two with a worried expression, staring at Lee whilst she asked. "How you feeling, Lee?"

"I'll live." he brushed off, staring at her with confusion. "What did you mean, Christa?"

"With Carver gone, the community needs a new leader. We can't go on without someone at the top making decisions." She pointed out, quickly adding when she noticed Lee's frown. "We took out Carver because he was corrupt, not because he was a leader. Like it or not, we need someone to lead."

"I agree." Sarah agreed, nodding whilst the adults looked down at her, both of them then turning to each other. Lee didn't want to admit it, but she was right. Without someone at the top to guide them, the community wouldn't make it through the winter.

The three started walking through the infirmary, ignoring the patients being treated by Jack and Huan, the latter sparing them a glance before resuming his work. Edith was right beside him, translating his explanations so that the people could understand, her words spoken softly and with a calm air around her, soothing the troubled patients whilst the doctor treated their injuries. Glancing up at them, she smiled at them, her hands holding the patient's hand as Huan worked getting a bullet out of their shoulder, the injured survivor writhing in pain. Lee paused, watching the scene with a sympathetic gaze, and finally Huan was able to get the bullet out. Placing it on a metal tray, he got to work disinfecting and wrapping the wound up.

With that taken care of, Edith turned to the trio, staring at Lee in particular as she asked him. "You were out cold for hours. You feeling alright?"

Nodding, he listened as she continued. "Good. I guess Christa already told you about this empty space at the top thing, and I agree with her. We should gather the survivors that made it through this mess, lay it out straight to them, and they can vote for who they want."

"We got enough people left for this?" Lee piped up, gesturing to the number of people injured and dead in the room. "That fighting before nearly decimated us all."

"Despite how this looks, many of the people in this community made it out with some scratches. I can come with you guys, Sam can take my place with helping the patients." Edith offered, smiling when Lee accepted it without a word. Quickly, they all walked over to the doors leading into the rest of the building, Lee opening the door and exiting the room, the others following after him.

Continuing to make their way to the open part of the ground floor, Lee glanced around, seeing people pulling bodies down the flight of stairs and from the stores, some of the victims likely scared people hiding from the gunfire. Both he and Sarah shared a saddened look, the young teen averting her gaze when she noticed someone kneeling beside a corpse. Quietly, Lee approached them, signalling for the rest of the group to go on without him. Doing so, Sarah spared one last glance at him, before she was guided away by Christa, the pregnant woman adopting a more calm look on her face, yet he could see that the fighting and death was getting to her as well. Softly, he encouraged her. "Go on, I'll only be a minute."

Both of them nodded, walking away whilst Lee turned around, staring down at the man, recognizing him to be Frank. With a shocked expression, he stared down at the corpse he was kneeling beside, the peaceful expression on their pale face making his gut twist painfully. Softly, he placed a hand on Frank, and muttered quietly. "Beth… Frank, what happened?"

"Carver happened. When everyone started shooting each other, Beth… she killed someone. Bludgeoned them with a nearby crowbar to protect me, and then she got shot down." He revealed, his hand placed in her cold hand, unable to pull himself away from her side. Lee's face fell into a somber expression as he watched Frank's hands shake, unable to see his face from standing behind him. His shoulders quaking with grief was all that he needed to know. "I know she'll go to the pyre. She was so young, Lee. So full of life. All she wanted to do was help people, and she was killed by the man she trusted to help this community."

"Carver got what was coming to him, Frank. Beth can rest in peace now." Lee sighed, staring down at her tranquil face, the blood from a bullet wound to her neck splattered onto her jawline and cheek. Feeling his hand being shrugged off, he glanced down at Frank, noticing how broken the man was after this loss. It vaguely reminded him of Kenny, back in the train when Duck was bit, how he had to talk his friend down whilst his wife was dealing with their son slipping away.

"She'll have to go on the pyre soon. It's better than throwing her body out for the walkers… give me some time, to say goodbye?" Frank asked, glancing up at Lee with tear filled eyes. Nodding, he walked away whilst the remaining farmer mourned his loss. Moving past the stairs, he found Sarah, Christa and Edith standing in the middle of the open space, the people remaining crowding around them.

Making his way to them, some of the survivors glanced back at him, moving out of the way for him to meet with his friends, nodding to him respectfully. He returned the gesture, shifting his eyes back on his group as they noticed him coming, Christa sharing a smile with him before she went on to address the crowd. "What's happened today, it's obviously hurt all of us. So many good people lost. This doesn't mean we can't think about our future here, though, we need a leader if we are to survive through this winter!"

"We had a leader, and look how well that helped us." One of the survivors pointed out, crossing his arms with a dejected expression on his face, it quickly turning to anger when he asked them. "What are you gonna do to make sure it doesn't happen again?"

"Back in Wellington, we have a system." Edith explained, addressing the people as they stared at her, some surprised with her words. "We have a leader, but also people that advise them. Sort of like a voice for the rest of the community. You're right, giving all the power to one person will just make another Carver, so you vote for one. The advisors they pick, they have to be approved by the people, makes sure there's no corruption going on."

The crowd nodded at that, people seemingly pleased with the idea as they mumbled in agreement with each other. Lee liked that plan, it made it easier, and so he asked the people around him. "Alright, so who's it gonna be? Who can we trust to make things right?"

"I say you, Lee." Alicia spoke up, moving past the barrier of other survivors as she appeared, Kate close to her legs. Lee stared at her, shock clear on his face whilst his group seemed more subdued with the suggestion. It wasn't just them, the others were loudly agreeing as she explained. "You're the one who showed us who Carver really was. People here trust you, you're a good man despite your losses. Ever since you've come here, we've seen how you deal with situations, with the weakest of our community. In my opinion, a good leader is one that helps the weakest, not throw them to the wolves like Carver did."

"I'm not a leader." Lee rejected, feeling overwhelmed with people electing him for the role. "I can't. People have died because of me, and not just here. Trust me, there are others who are more suitable to leadership than me."

"That's not what I saw with our group." Christa replied, turning to Lee with a sympathetic stare, knowing why he was so hesitant on taking the mantle. "Lee, remember back in Savannah, when the house we were hiding in got overrun? You were the one who took control. Despite Clementine being taken and the herd overwhelming Savannah, you were the one who guided us. What happened to Kenny, Ben and Clem wasn't your fault, don't run away from this. I know you can do good by these people."

"How can you be so sure in me?" he asked, shaking his head in rejection.

Christa's smile was soft, sincere, and her voice was filled with confidence as she replied. "Because you showed me I can."

"Christa's right, Lee. I know you can do this!" Sarah added, smiling brightly whilst Lee stared down at her. Seeing all the people believe in him filled Lee with confidence, something he hadn't felt in a long time, and knowing that he had a chance to improve people's lives, he nodded slowly, watching people's faces turn ecstatic at his acceptance on his new role.

"Alright, I'll do it." He smiled softly, looking around at all the faces staring at him. The people he met during his stay in Howe's were gazing at him, the friends he made, and seeing them look up to him, it made his self-esteem much better. Maybe he could do some good. With a joking tone, he laughed quietly as he asked them. "You all stand with me?"

"Until the end, man." Gabriel smiled, offering his hand in congratulations. Shaking it, Lee couldn't stop smiling as the larger man laughed loudly, bringing him in for a tight hug. Coughing for the force, Lee stumbled slightly when he was released, and the other people cheered loudly for the election of their new leader, Joel coming forward to shake Lee's hand. With a more resigned look, he accepted the gesture, feeling the hatred the guard had for him decay when he offered him a smirk.

"No hard feelings, yeah?" he asked, his smirk widening when Lee replied with a short nod, a smile on his face. With water under the bridge, he listened as Joel asked them. "Who's gonna be your advisors?"

"Three's a good number to have." Edith added, staring at Lee whilst he thought about it.

Rubbing his jawline, he glanced over at Alicia, the woman wondering why he was staring at her until he finally decided. "Alicia. I can't ignore you helping me throughout all of this. You were the one to go against Carver and get the people together in the first place. They trust you, and so do I."

"You want me? I-I ain't much of an advisor-type person." She stammered, her hand reaching up to brush a stray hair out from in front of her face. Kate glanced up at her, a youthful face curious about what was going on in her home, and she turned her gaze to Lee. Keeping the older man's gaze, she moved out from behind her mother's legs and, copying what she saw people do just before, held her pudgy hand out.

With an amused look, Lee kneeled to her eye-level, taking the small hand into his larger one and shook it gently, giving the young child a soft smile that she returned. Alicia watched this, her hand guiding the child as she moved back to her spot of safety behind her mother, staring up at her with bright brown eyes. Taking a deep breath, Alicia turned back to Lee, smiling softly as she accepted. "Alright, what's the worst that could happen?"

"If it's you helping then I'm happy. You haven't fucked us over yet, Alicia." Joel smiled, glancing back to Lee as the latter continued to think, offering some advice. "Alicia's good with the people. In my opinion, you need someone to look at security and someone for medical advice. I think Jack is a good choice for medicine."

"He is our only doctor, I'll give him a try." Lee agreed, frowning as he thought deeply. "I don't know who should be security."

"I can help with that." Christa offered, an amused look on her face as Lee stared at her in surprise. "You can think of anyone better?"

"Not really. I guess you do know what needs to be done to protect this community, but what about when the baby comes?" Lee asked, noting Christa's smirk disappearing at the thought of her baby, quickly adding to avoid upsetting his friend. "I just don't want to push you too much."

"Hey, we can cross that bridge when we get there. For now, you need me to help, and I don't wanna sit around and let everyone else do the work for me." She explained. Lee couldn't argue with that, and he wouldn't want to either way, rather addressing the crowd surrounding them once more, explaining their next plan of action.

"We gotta repair the damage done here today, and the people we lost deserve a proper funeral. Starting now, the Wall is no longer being used, and the walkers will be given the funeral Carver denied them." He instructed, crossing his arms as he recalled something important, glancing around the faces staring at him. "Where's Luke?"

"I left him tied up in the holding cells on the second floor." Joel explained, realising what Lee was planning as he added. "You wanna judge him?"

"We all have to decide what happens to him. Carver's death was unavoidable, but the community can still have their say with Luke." He pointed out, appearing in deep thoughts before he slowly addressed the crowd. "You shall decide his fate. The charges that face Luke are two cases of murder, one of which attempted, sabotage and betrayal. The punishment is yours to decide."

"I say we kill him and be done with it!" Ellie piped up, anger clearly shown on her face as the others appeared in shock at her bluntness. Lee glanced down at her, listening to her whilst she ranted. "He told Bill about the plan for our group to escape! My brother's blood is on his hands just as much as his father's!"

"We don't know what happened in Bill's office with Luke. He could have easily threatened his son with violence if he didn't give the plan away. God knows Bill's treated that boy like dirt." Gabriel rebutted, shaking his head with pity whilst Ellie glared at him, his voice loud as he continued. "We can't ignore the fact that he killed Carlos as well."

Sarah's face fell at the mention of her father's name, Edith holding the young teen close whilst Joel discussed with the others. "Revenge is an ugly thing. You gotta be careful not to go down that path too, Ellie. You forget Luke was in the same boat as you when he shot Carlos."

"I didn't betray my friends to get it! I don't care what any of you think, I deserve justice for Alex! I need it!" The last sentence was yelled with a more destroyed tone than the rest of her enraged shouts, Lee appearing solemn as her face cleared of any anger, instead clearly showing grief and heartache. People seemed to have agreed with her, but it became more split when Alicia suggested.

"Why don't we exile him?" Confused looks could be felt on her back, and she one of them being Lee. "Without Carver to protect him here, Luke's got no allies. He's no threat to the people. If he changes his leaves, finds another group and starts again, then we don't have more death. If he dies out there, then there's the justice that Ellie and others need."

"I hate to admit it, but both options are as good as each other." Edith admitted.

"We should exile him. We're just stooping to Luke and Carver's levels if we kill him for revenge. Trust me, Ellie, killing him won't bring your brother back! Just like it didn't bring George back for Luke!" Sarah begged, staring at Ellie whilst the older woman appeared conflicted, looking away in shame over her outburst.

"It doesn't have to be decided today. We should focus on repairing and saying farewell, and come back tomorrow with clear heads." Lee sighed, feeling the fatigue creeping back as he ordered the crowd. "Work together to fix the damage. Some of you should get the pyre ready for the funerals, and bring the walkers from the Wall back here. All the bodies of those who died here today should be taken outside to the site. We'll commence the ceremonies at 5 O'clock this afternoon."

Dispersing, the people of the damaged community went on with the jobs they were given, Joel leading a small group outside to kill the walkers left on the Wall. Out of the group, Lee noticed Nick walking up to them, a sorrowful look on his face as he thanked them. "Thanks, Lee. I know all this shit with Luke is hard, but… I don't want to know him anymore."

"It must be hard. I'm sorry, Nick." Lee apologized. Rubbing his upper arm, Nick glanced over at the flight of stairs, appearing unsure on what to do. Frowning slightly in sympathy, Lee knew that he must be thinking of seeing his former friends, giving him a few moments to compose himself.

"I gotta see him. One last time, before the community decides what to do with him tomorrow. I think I deserve some answers." He growled, frustration and betrayal obvious on his face. Lee nodded at that, offering the younger man a soft smile of empathy.

Suddenly, Sarah walked up to him, staring up at her old friend as she grabbed hold of his hand, her voice soft and kind as she offered. "I'll come with you. No one should be alone for this."

"Thanks, Sarah." Nick thanked, giving Lee one last glance before the two of them made their way to the flight of stairs, the new leader watching them disappear up the stairs. Standing there, he sighed sadly, wondering what tomorrow would bring for his group. Thinking of the people they lost on the way, he wondered how they would react to being in this situation with him. PEte would have been the rock that Nick needed, and a much needed voice of reason for LEe, possessing some wisdom that he could share with him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Edith walking closer to him, her voice professional and to the point as she explained. "We should discuss what happens now. Wellington still needs an ally."

"That we do." He agreed, walking with Edith and two of his new advisors by his side. Climbing up the stairs, he paused momentarily to watch the people below getting to work, some of the survivors brushing up the broken glass from the smashed shop windows, whilst others continued to drag bodies onto improvised stretchers, using them to carry the pile of deceased to the designated sight outside. Christa placed a hand on his shoulder, willing him to keep moving with a knowing look, and followed him when Lee finally pulled himself away from the scene.

None of them engaged in conversation, most likely wanting to get to the office to discuss their community's future and the supposed alliance with Wellington, Edith appearing worried about her own people. Remembering what she told him, Lee wasn't surprised, and found himself wanting to help her. It was a long way from how he was after Clementine, and he couldn't decide whether it was good to have hope again, or fear that the hope he was feeling would only hurt him further. Reaching the top of the stairs, the group quickly made their way over the main hall of the first floor, passing the useless fountain and benches. There was no one around, not even in the restaurant; all of them working hard downstairs to clean up the mess that Carver started.

Finally, they reached the door leading into Lee's new office, the door being opened and Lee entering first. Glancing over at the large desk near a window looking out onto the community, he made his way to it, ignoring the papers scattered over the heavy oak furniture whilst sneaking a peek at the commotion outside. Able to see the wall, he watched as Joel and the others dragged bodies in from the outside, spotting Jason's body being dragged in after his head was pierced, giving the poor man some peace. Turning away, he sat down at the desk, somewhat intimidated with the size and the authority it carried, before he started addressing the others. "I think we should start with this alliance with Wellington."

"That's what I was thinking." Edith agreed, moving to Lee side as she explained. "As soon as possible, we should start trading routes between our two communities. My people need food, and yours needs medicine."

"Carver kept a map around here to plot down places we haven't yet scavenged, lemme grab it." Alicia revealed, moving to one of the drawer whilst the others watched. Pulling out a large map from one of the drawers, she moved back to the desk, Lee putting the papers in neat piles while she laid the map across the desk. Glancing down at it, he noticed it was the map of the entire United States, watching as Edith pointed out the routes. "We can use these highways to transport supplies between Howe's and Wellington. It's quite a distance, around eight hours each way."

"We'd do well making sure the trucks are protected from raiders." Christa noted, leaning on the desk as she added. "Some people with weapons should give the bandits second thoughts."

"With the trade up, we'd be able to invite more people into the community. We need more helping hands to make sure this place is running smoothly." Alicia added, glancing outside at the working going on below. "We lost a lot of people to fighting. Maybe you can send some of your population down here?"

"We numbering in the hundreds, I'm sure we can spare some families." Edith agreed, watching as Lee marked down the routes in highlighters.

Staring at the coloured map, he tapped his finger against the desk, a smile on his face as he nodded. "I think we can do this. When will you be setting off, Edith?"

"Soon. I can't stay here any longer, my community needs the good news desperately." She explained, crossing her arms as she added. "Our car is pretty much fixed, but the snow's a real pain to drive through. Plus, we're outta gas."

"We can spare some. Howe's has scavenged enough to last us for a while." Lee offered, smiling up at Edith whilst continuing. "If your community is starving, we could give you some food and water to get the people through until the trading routes are up."

"That would help a lot. Thanks, Lee." Edith gasped, a grateful expression on her face as she glanced at the sky outside. Following her gaze, he noticed the storm had died down, a fresh layer of snow sitting on the tall pine trees, weighing the branches down. The sky cleared up, showing shades of blue through the grey clouds rolling by, the sun sitting high in the sky and lighting the surroundings up.

Slowly, he listened as she finally remarked. "We're gonna be losing daylight soon. I have to get my group ready, and we'll leave soon."

"I can drive you guys to where you left your car?" Alicia offered.

Turning to her, Edith nodded as she accepted the offer. "Thank you. That would help a lot."

"Sarah'll be on the second floor still, if you wanna tell her." Lee explained, noting Christa and Alicia's confused expression as he realised that they didn't know. With a grim face, his voice quieted whilst he revealed the truth to them. "Sarah wasn't planning on coming back to Howe's. She'll be going with Edith and her group back to Wellington, for a new life."

"Sarah…" Christa muttered, looking away from Lee as she leaned on the desk, instead staring at the door with a glum look. "I suppose it makes sense. Poor girl's lost a lot here, bad memories and all that."

"She's a good kid. You'll look after her, yeah?" Alicia asked Edith, staring at the latter with a pleading look, upset to see Sarah leave Howe's. Edith nodded at that, giving the woman some peace of mind that there would be someone to keep the young teen safe, but it didn't stop Lee's heart from aching. Quietly, he heard the door opening, noticing it out of the corner of his eye, and glanced up at it with the rest of the adults in the room.

Confused, his smile returned when it was revealed to be Sarah, the young girl peeking her head from behind the wooden door shyly, wondering what was going on in the room. Edith approached her, happy to see her whilst Sarah entered the room fully, letting the door close fully behind her. Staring up at the grown woman, she listened as Edith began to explain to her, trying to not let the sadness become evident in her voice. "You should pack your things, sweetie. We're leaving soon for Wellington."

"About Wellington." Sarah started, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves whilst Lee watched her, confused about her behaviour as she revealed. "I've decided that… I want to stay here. In Howe's."

Surprised by the change of heart, Lee slowly stood up from his desk, walking over to Sarah as he asked her. "What changed your mind?"

"...You're really helping these people, unlike Carver, and I saw how you were after all the fighting. I know you can do some good. You saved me, and you never gave up on finding me. I don't want to give up on you or my friends, especially Nick. Right now, he needs me just as much as I needed him." She pointed out, keeping her gaze with Lee as she finished. "I don't want to abandon my friends. Not now."

"You're a good kid, Sarah. I don't think you will, but if you do change your mind, Wellington will always accept you." Edith offered. Sarah smiled brightly at her words, and nodded in response, watching as the older woman turned to Lee, Alicia walking past them and waiting by the door. "Take care of yourself, Lee."

"You too, Edith." With that, both she and Alicia left the room, leaving Lee, Sarah and Christa behind. Looking back down at the young teen in front of him, he raised an eyebrow as he noticed something different about her appearance, pointing it out softly. "You cut your hair."

"Oh! Y-Yeah, I decided it's easier than just keeping it in the bun." She sheepishly replied, playing with a strand of her black hair. Rather than it reaching past her shoulders, Sarah cut the bun straight off, leaving the hair to splay out in random directions at the nape of her neck, making it more difficult for anyone to get a grip on it. The bangs she had in front of her eyes were gone, rather brushed further behind her ears, some pesky hairs stubbornly sitting on her forehead. Quickly, she dug through the pockets of her jacket, pulling out the hair band that Lee was given back in the cabin, her voice soft as she spoke up. "I don't need this anymore."

"I think you suit this. It's cute." Lee tried to comfort, noticing it not working as Sarah just nodded, rather standing there as he added. "I have to get some work done. Why don't you go with Christa and help out? It'd be a big help."

"Sure thing." She nodded, glancing up at Christa when someone else poked from behind the door, Lee noticing it as Omid.

With a smirk on his face, he turned to Christa as he revealed what was making him so giddy. "You wouldn't guess what Laurel and I found in storage?"

"Knowing you, something inappropriate." Christa shot back, an amused smile on her face as her boyfriend chuckled at that, shaking his head as he fully entered the office, keeping the door open with his foot.

"Nope. Baby clothes! I wanted to find you to show you some of them." He offered, looking down at Sarah as he added. "You can come too. Just make sure to take my side when Christa says no to all of them."

"Alright, alright. Let's go, Sarah." Christa sighed, the smile still on her face as she left the room with Sarah beside her, Omid letting them go through before giving Lee a raised eyebrow.

"So, you're going on up in the world, huh?" he joked, his smile widening when Lee returned an exasperated sigh in response. "Just don't get too big a head. You gotta remember the little people too."

"Will do. I'd get going, before Christa and Sarah ambush you with their choices in baby clothes." Lee brushed off, gesturing for Omid to leave the office as he returned to the desk, staring down at the map laid over his desk, listening as his friend piped up.

"Oh, Ellie's waiting outside. Something she wants to talk to you about." He revealed, letting the younger woman passed as he gestured a farewell, closing the door behind him and leaving Lee and Ellie alone in the room. It was silent. Finally, he glanced up from the map, his hands propped on the desk to keep him up whilst he leaned over it, watching her as she moved closer, a worried expression on her face without saying anything to the new leader.

After a few moments of silence, she finally spoke up, her voice quiet and reserved. "You've been working hard, I see?"

"Just setting up trading routes with Edith. She's going back to Wellington soon to bring the news to her leaders. Hopefully, we can get supplies moving to make it through the winter." He explained, looking back down at the map as he added in a concerned tone. "Is there something you need, Ellie?"

"Well, not need really…" she trailed off, sighing to herself as she bit the bullet, coming out slowly. "I'm leaving."

That shocked him. Moving his gaze from his map once more, he stared at Ellie with a confused expression, his voice calm yet sorrowful as he asked her. "What? How come?"

"It's not just me. Walter was thinking of leaving too, going off to find Matthew. I was planning on going with him." She explained, crossing her arms as she interrupted Lee before he could reply. "I know, this place is safe now that Carver's out of the picture, but… I just can't stay in the same place where my brother died. Walter feels the same, he doesn't enjoy the fact that so many people have died for change to happen, but that doesn't mean we don't believe in you."

"I'm not judging, Ellie. I understand where you're coming from, but it's safer here. We can help Walter find Matthew with our scouts." Lee offered, noting how Ellie's expression fell at his kind words.

"You have plenty of shit to deal with, we don't wanna add finding Matthew to that. It's not all bad. I get on pretty well with the big guy, and my family may be gone but I still have friends in other communities. I might try my hand at Prescott after we find Matthew." She shrugged, a sad smile on her face when Lee frowned deeply at that, her voice soft as she consoled him. "Hey, this ain't goodbye. I'm sure we'll run into each other again someday. You are a man who people can't help but run into, Lee."

"You can say that again." He joked, both of them sharing a short laugh before he offered. "Take some supplies. They'll give you a chance until you reach this Prescott."

"Thanks. We're planning on leaving tomorrow, after the whole shit with Luke is sorted. The Ellie you saw before… that wasn't the real her. I don't want you remembering me like that." She sighed, turning around with her back facing Lee.

Staring at her with a sympathetic gaze, his voice was gentle as he called out. "I don't think of you like that. You're just a young woman who's lost everything. I hope you can find a new life out there."

"Me too. Goodbye, and good luck." With that, she left the office, allowing the door to shut softly behind her. Left on his own, Lee sat down in his office chair, staring around his office in a reserved manner. Outside, his community were working towards a better future for them all, and with the trade routes set up with Wellington, he wondered if he should start looking for other communities to work with. Maybe that Prescott that Ellie was planning on going. Until then, he returned to looking at the papers that he stacked neatly to the sit, noticing that they were the reports from Jack, Frank and Laurel.

Rubbing his temple, he leaned back in his chair with papers in hand, and started looking over the mess that Carver had left the community in, determined to set things right and make up for his past mistakes with his previous group.


	32. Memorial

The hard work never ended. Going through the reports that were left behind by Carver, he noticed that the medicine crisis was happening even before he and his group were brought here, if the report suggested anything. Jack's hard to read handwriting was scribbled over the paper, some strong words thrown in there to show how frustrated he must have been. Looking over the medical reports of many of the survivors in the community, he noticed Kristina's name amongst the others, noting her last name to be Amadori, raising an eyebrow as he read to out to himself. "Suffering from pains in her amputated leg, and is complaining of difficulty to walk some days. I have given her painkillers to deal with the discomfort, but we are running low… Jesus."

Dropping it back onto his desk, he skimmed through the rest of the reports from the doctor, feeling a migraine coming on and pinched the bridge of his nose, keeping his eyes closed as he heard the door creak open. Slowly, he opened them again, spotting Christa standing at the door, a hand resting on her swollen belly as he offered her a genuine smile. It fell when she didn't return it, instead staring at him with a saddened expression as she revealed. "It's time for the memorial. Everyone's outside waiting."

The time had flown by. Lee didn't even realise that the sky behind him had darkened, the sun already almost behind the horizon whilst the lack of light changed the once bright blue to a deep navy, the stars twinkling in the distance. Standing up from his chair, he quickly moved around his desk, ignoring the reports until later when the time for grieving had passed. Reaching the door, he held it open as Christa walked out again, following after her whilst closing the door behind him.

Standing outside his office, he glanced around, seeing no one walking through the open space or sitting in the restaurant across the floor, listening as Christa sighed. "All the damage from the fighting this morning had been cleared up, all the glass and that. The bodies are waiting outside to be burned, but… those people who have loved ones on the pyre. Sometimes, I wonder if that could have been me with Omid, like Kristina and Dwight."

"You guys will be safe here. I'll make sure of it, Christa." Lee promised, offering a smile to the worried woman as she glanced up at him, a sad smile on her face before the two walked towards the staircase leading to the ground floor.

It was eerie. The entire community was like a ghost town without its occupants walking around, a silence everywhere they turned, all the shops that were turned into rooms empty and no laughter or chatter came from the restaurant, a vast difference from before. Without saying a word, both he and Christa walked down the stairs together, glad that the other was with them. Sneaking glances at his friend, he noticed how tired she was, some strands of her hair coming out of the tight bun she always wore, resting against her forehead whilst darkened eyes stared down, her steps slow and careful so that she didn't slip. Worry gnawed at him as he saw how far along the pregnancy she was, wondering when the baby would come, and whether she and Omid were ready for the new addition to their family. It would bring light to the community, a newborn, but he would be an idiot if he didn't admit the difficulties a baby could bring.

After they reached the bottom of the stairs, he and Christa shared a glance, a smile on his face as he asked her. "You and Omid think of a name yet?"

"Honestly, no. We've been so busy with all of this, we just forgot… But, now I feel better, safer. I think it's time me and Omid sit down and talk about this, with the baby coming soon and that." She explained, her hand resting on her swollen stomach. Suddenly, she chuckled to herself, her head glancing down to her unborn baby as she admitted. "I'm scared of the labour. I asked Alicia if it hurt that bad with her daughter, and she admitted that she couldn't remember half of it because of the painkillers she was on."

"I thank god every day knowing that I don't have to go through that." Lee joked, walking slowly when he noticed Christa stopping, a pained expression on her face as his smile faded, a frown replacing it whilst he asked her nervously. "Christa? You alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. The baby was just kicking." She replied, the pain subsiding as she sighed in relief. "Though, I wish she stopped kicking so much."

"You think it's gonna be a girl?" He smirked, starting to walk again when Christa moved past him.

"I hope so. At least Omid won't be able to name her Omid Jr." She laughed, a genuine joyful glow on her face.

Lee joined in on her laughing, chuckling softly before he asked her. "So, if the baby is a girl, what would you like to name her?"

Christ appeared thoughtful, looking away from Lee whilst she thought about his question. A few moments went by, and she glanced back up at him, her voice tender and soft as she revealed. "Natia."

"Natia? I like it." Lee confessed.

"I found it in one of those baby naming books a while back, before we met up with you guys. I wish I still had it now." Christa sighed, glancing around with the happiness she was feeling slowly slipping away, Lee following her gaze to see that they had reached the front door, two guards standing watch when they noticed their leader and his pregnant friend coming towards them.

Noticing one of them being Joel, he stood in front of them, nodding at the exhausted guard as he readjusted his beanie, noting it be black with a small white skull on the bottom. Both of the guards were saddened by the events of that day, Joel glancing outside the partially open door with Lee following his gaze, noticing some people dragging bodies onto a makeshift pyre. Downtrodden, he listened as Joel explained to him. "I'd prepare for the grief. Some people aren't ready to let go of their loved ones."

"It never gets any easier, does it?" he asked, glancing over at the guard from the scene beyond the door.

With an upset expression, he glanced downwards and inhaled deeply, sighing to himself as he shook his head. "It hasn't for me yet."

After that, he pushed the door open to allow Lee and Christa to pass through, keeping it open whilst they walked outside, before following after them with the other guard in tow. Closing the door behind them, they continued down the car park towards the set up prye, the walls protecting them from the rogue winds that blew through the forests outside the community. Everyone else had already started gathering around the pyre, Kristina and Ellie standing together and comforting the other over their loss, watching as Alex's body was placed on the wood with all the other corpses, Dwight's body too decayed and eaten to be recovered for the ceremony. Other survivors weren't holding together either, some sobbing into their hands or embracing their friends whilst mourning, Lee frowning sadly at the scene before him. Nick and Sarah stood together, the taller man protecting the young teen from the chilly cold, before she noticed Lee and Christa walking towards them.

Omid, originally standing next to Walter and Ellie, made his way over to his girlfriend, holding her close as Lee heard him ask. "You alright?"

"Yeah. The baby's been kicking again." She explained, holding Omid's hand whilst she glanced over at the pyre, noticing the cease in any bodies being placed on. "Is it ready?"

"Yeah. All the walkers on the wall have been taken down for cremation. You wanna say the first words, Lee?" Omid offered.

Nodding, Lee walked along with his friends, joining his group whilst they watched him, have noticed his presence already. Sarah watched him, an upset look in her eyes before she shifted her gaze over to the pyre, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Clearing his throat, Lee moved to stand alone, watching everyone turn their attentions to him, and finally began his speech whilst he stared at the pyre in front of him. "We are here today to mourn the losses of our loved ones. People who may be gone from our lives, but never from our hearts, and will be remembered for as long as we live. We send them on to a better life, and hope that we can one day reunite with them."

Pausing, he allowed the grieving survivors to compose themselves, watching them with sympathy as he continued. "We'll have a moment of silence for them, to let those who need to say goodbye do it."

Silence fell over the community. Moving back to his group, Lee noticed tears welling in Sarah's eyes, rubbing them away with the sleeve whilst Nick held her close. People around them stood without saying a word, comforting their loved ones or whispering silent prayers to themselves, some of the guards starting to pour something on the bodies and the wood, careful not to get any on themselves. Lee watched with a grim expression, knowing that the liquid was an accelerant to aid the burning, and the others knew it as well; Christa holding onto Omid's hand tightly. The minute had passed by when he glanced down at his watch, but standing in the dark and the cold, it felt like an eternity.

With a nod to the guards, he watched as Kristina, having taken the lighter from Joel, lit a long pole with burning material tied to it, the fire consuming the material whilst she used the pole to safely light the pyre. The entire structure, with the aid of the accelerant, went up in flames, consuming the bodies as they disappeared amidst the fire. Standing close to it, Lee felt the heat wash over him, his face burning slightly from the massive shift in temperature as he just watched the fire. Glancing at Kristina, he stared at her as she gazed upon the fire, her face thoughtful. He could only guess what she was thinking of, but he had a gut feeling that she was thinking of Dwight, and he could see it in her eyes how much she missed her love.

The sun had fully disappeared from the sky, the night sky turning black with the smoke rolling up from the fire, Lee glancing up as the smoke covered the twinkling stars. After a while, people moved back inside the building, shuffling through the cold as the winds picked up, and another blizzard was on its way. Nick and Walter helped Christa walk back inside, Omid right by her side, whilst Sarah walked up to Lee's side. Glancing down at her, he noticed the fire reflecting in her glasses, her eyes highlighted to an almost amber colour. Softly, she whispered. "We should go inside. It's starting to snow again."

"Yeah. Come on, Sarah." He agreed, the two walking away from the roaring fire whilst a couple of the guards remained, making sure that the fire didn't burn out of control. Once they were inside the building, Lee sighed as the feeling of the cold thawed away, shaking his boots free of any snow. Sarah shivered, rubbing her arms through her coat, and walked across the main room.

People that entered the building before them had already made their way upstairs, a few staying on the ground floor, likely having lost their appetite due to grief. Lee watched them, sitting on the benches or near destroyed windows, the glass long cleared up, and talked with others in hushed voices. Some noticed him, nodding towards their new leader in respect, and he returned the gesture with sympathy in his eyes. Others noticed Sarah, staring at the young teen whilst she stood there, offering just a small smile before she glanced at the approaching Lee. "Everyone's meeting upstairs for dinner. I haven't eaten a nice meal in weeks."

"Same here. Let's go up then, the group would've already beat us there." He suggested, making his way to the staircase with Sarah in front. The two walked in silence, Sarah keeping her back to him, and he could only sigh quietly to himself, quickly finding hunger pushing him to get to the restaurant. Thinking about it, he hadn't eaten a good meal since before the escape attempt. Mouth watering at the thought of food, the duo made a beeline straight for the restaurant once they reached the top of the stairs.

A glow came from the restaurant, the lights turned on inside whilst he could hear chatter. Sarah, eager to reunite with her friends, jogged into the restaurant, a smile on her face as everyone called out her name with joy, quickly followed by Nick appearing in front of her and bringing her inside, giving Lee a warm smile. With a heart filled with happiness, Lee followed after them, his smile widening when people laughed and waved to him. Glancing around, he noticed that his friends had taken the table in the corner once more, a raised eyebrow when he walked over to them. Omid and Walter were discussing books, something that caught Sarah's attention as she joined in the conversation. Christa meanwhile was smiling genuinely, the tiredness and stress gone as she was able to sit down and enjoy a meal with her friends, her smile brightening when she saw Lee approaching the table.

"We thought we'd claim this table as our own." She joked.

Sitting down between Nick and Walter, Lee leaned back, enjoying the calm air around him whilst Ellie pointed out. "You know, I actually failed my English class in high school."

"Really?" Walter asked, surprised to hear that. "I have to admit, I wouldn't have guessed it from such a hard worker like yourself, Ellie."

"Yep. I hated my teacher, and he hated me. Stupid old douche." She grumbled, a sly smirk on her face as she revealed. "Jokes on him, I put tacks on his chair just before I graduated."

Shaking his head, the incident actually seemed funny to the group, all of them laughing at the thought of Ellie as a rebellious school kid. She still had that look about her. Chuckling at the funny incident, Lee noticed food being placed in front of him, his stomach twisting painfully in want as he stared down at the food. Potatoes with different steamed vegetables, flakes of herbs sprinkled on the food. He couldn't wait to try the delicious meal, tucking straight in whilst the others in his group waited for their plates to be put down, Gabriel striking up a conversation in a cheerful tone. "I'd have broke out the wine by now, but I think there's hardly gonna be left when it's passed around the community."

"We're good, Gabriel." Nick smiled, cutting up his potatoes as he joked. "I think I'm gonna swear off the alcohol, tired of waking up with a hangover."

"Good for you, Nick. If any of yous need something, don't be afraid to ask." The cook explained, walking off to deal with the rest of his kitchen duties, quickly ruffling the top of Sarah's head affectionately before he left. A warm smile on her face, she waved him goodbye, and started to tuck into her meal, wolfing the lightly seasoned vegetables like they were about to disappear into thin air.

Watching her, Christa laughed softly, her voice kind when she finally spoke up. "Sarah, slow down. It's not going anywhere."

"Oh, right… sorry." She replied sheepishly, eating her food more slowly after that. Lee said nothing. Rather, he cut up the carrots that were cooked incredibly well, reminding him of Sunday dinners back home, the smell of the stews his mother cooked and the sounds of laughter around the dinner table, he felt like he could close his eyes and he'd be back there. A small smile pulled at his lips, calmness shown through his face whilst he remembered the good people in his past. Looking up, staring at his friends around him as they ate and joked about, he realised that he could have those moments again, especially with Carver out of the picture.

"I heard that you and Omid were picking out some baby clothes today?" Walter piped up, swallowing a piece of his vegetables whilst adding. "You know whether you're having a boy or a girl?"

"I want it to be a surprise." Omid replied, his hand intertwined with Christa's as they rested on the table.

Christa nodded at that, before she quickly added. "But he's not being called Omid Jr if it's a boy."

"Omid is a very poetic name in this world, so I for one would think it'd fit our baby perfectly!" Her boyfriend pointed out, a sly smirk on his face as he continued. "Besides, you have two names to choose from."

"We're not naming the baby Omid the Second, either." Christa sighed, shaking her head whilst eating a piece of carrot, her boyfriend smiling brightly as he continued to eat his meal also. Lee chuckled to himself, remembering the conversation ending the exact same months ago. Everyone sat there in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company whilst they adored their food, Lee staring down at his empty plate. Putting the fork and knife down, he leaned back, content with the meal, and listened as Christa muttered softly. "I wish you were staying with us, Walter."

"I wish that too. All of you have been great friends to me, and I treasure the time we spent together, but I have to find Matthew. He's out there, somewhere. I know it." Walter explained, finishing his meal as well. Ellie didn't say anything, instead staring down at her plate with a saddened look in her eyes, not noticing the sympathetic glance Lee gave to her.

"Well, we hope you find him." Nick responded, a grieving expression falling over his face as he added. "Will you tell him thanks, for trying to help Uncle Pete?"

"I will. Don't worry." Walter accepted. A thankful smile appeared on Nick's face, and he leaned his chin on his palm, exhaustion and a full belly causing drowsiness for the tired survivor. Lee felt the same way, his shoulders sagging and his eyes feeling heavy, but he still had work to do before he could retire for the night.

"Lee?" Sarah suddenly asked, her voice quiet enough that he almost missed hearing it. Opening eyes that he didn't realise were closed, he glanced over at the young teen, noticing her glancing outside the glass doors leading to the balcony. Slowly, she turned back to him, noticing that he was paying attention, and took that as a silent allowance to continue what she was going to say. "The walkers outside… on the Wall. I-Is that done? Are you gonna put more out there?"

"Not our own. People should live here without worrying that their bodies are gonna be disrespected like that. I know I wouldn't wanna be put out there when I die." Lee sighed, recalling the sight of the guards pulling a walker Jason along, tying him up and then just leaving him. He didn't want that to be his community, and his words seemed to have had a calming effect on the young girl, her eyes brightening when she nodded wholeheartedly.

"Good, I agree!" she replied, glancing around as she added. "People might feel better if they know what's happening. Maybe you could do an announcement?"

"People are gonna favour you more if they know you have their interests at heart." Christa agreed. Lee nodded at that, deciding that it would be good to get the announcement out of the way, give something the people would sleep on, and so he slowly stood up. Turning around, he noticed that a lot of the community's eyes were already on him, feeling nervousness clawing at his insides as he just cleared his throat, eyes trained on as many of the faces as he could.

"Everyone? Can I have your attention?" he loudly announced, watching as the gentle hum of conversations died down, and everyone sitting in the restaurant stared straight at him. He wouldn't lie, it was very intimidating to be the center of attention. Spotting Alicia sitting with her daughter and some friends, he felt confidence in her smile, and continued. "I have decided that the Wall is no longer in use. People in this community will not be put on there after death, or worry about it as a punishment, from now on, we'll only use walkers we find roaming outside our community. With that, have a good night."

People cheered at the announcement, ecstatic about the removal of the punishment, the weight lifting from their shoulders that made Lee smile softly, happy that he could make these people's lives that much easier. Alicia nodded silently at that, before her attention was brought back to her daughter, the young child showing her one of the pictures she drew. Watching the lovely scene, he heard chairs moving behind him, glancing behind him to see that his group were standing up from their table, Christa taking her time due to the heavy weight she was carrying. Tenderly, Omid helped her, and he yawned softly as he pointed out. "It's getting pretty late. You have some clue to where we're staying now?"

"He doesn't, but I do." Alicia replied, suddenly appearing with Kate in her arms, sitting the child on her hip when she explained. "You and Christa will be taking Tess' old room, up on the second floor. Nick, you're getting Beth's old room, by the greenhouse, and Sarah's room is downstairs near the infirmary. You remember that room?"

"That was my old room with dad…" Sarah revealed, an upset glint to her eyes as she added. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble. The room wasn't being used by anyone else, and I think you'd be better with it." She shrugged, turning to Christa and Omid. "I'll show you two the room."

"I'm glad we're not sleeping in the Pen anymore, my back is done with those shelves." Christa sighed in relief, walking after Alicia and Omid as they exited the restaurant, eager to sleep well for the night. Lee watched them go, mumbling his goodnights to the others whilst they went to go to their own rooms, Nick stretching his arms upwards in a lazy manner. Walter and Ellie walked together, talking to each other about something that he couldn't hear. It wasn't just the group that were leaving for the night, people exiting with their friends and loved ones together, some of the people that Lee had made friends with over the time he spent at Howe's walking past him, bidding him a goodnight before they disappeared into the dark hall.

Slowly, he turned around, expecting to see Sarah ready to leave as well, and was surprised when she was nowhere to be seen, glancing around when he heard Gabriel explain behind the counter. "Sarah went upstairs with some food for Luke. Sorta like a last meal before his trial tomorrow…. I tried to tell her it's fine, but she insisted."

"That's weird. I'll go and see if she's fine, thanks." Lee mumbled, nodding a silent farewell to the cook before he too left the restaurant. The hall outside was dark, the light from the spotlights outside flooding into the room through the windows, highlighting the old fountain and benches left alone. People had already gone to their rooms, the ones left walking into their rooms before closing the doors, leaving Lee and the guards on duty left. Ignoring their nods and looks, he made his way to the staircase, taking the stairs two steps at a time as he heard hushed whispers above, a frown on his face as he jogged up.

Reaching the top, he glanced around, noting that the guards were smaller than downstairs, a single one on duty who just nodded, pointing over to the makeshift cells they kept people in. In the dark, he could still make out Sarah's hunched over silhouette, another figure sitting in the corner of the cell with a plate by him. Recognizing it to be Luke, Lee kept back, not eager to cause a scene when it looked like Sarah wasn't having much trouble. Sitting down, he hid himself from their view, listening carefully as Sarah's voice begged quietly. "Please, Luke. You must be hungry?"

"I don't want anything from you people." He spat, his voice broken as he snapped. "You're all just gonna give some sort of last fucking meal, before you decide what's gonna happen to me tomorrow."

"Luke, please. Don't make this difficult…" she muttered, slowly standing up as she added. "I tried to get Lee to spare Carver, for the people to judge and… and for you to say goodbye. I know what it's like when someone you love goes before you're ready."

Lee frowned at that, lowering his head as he stared at the floor. Luke didn't reply to her words, a few moments passing by before he bitterly dismissed her. "I don't care anymore. Just leave me the fuck alone."

"Fine." Footsteps came close to where Lee was sitting, his eyes glancing over to see Sarah walking towards him, shifting around the potted plants so that he was out of her line of sight. Leaning his head against the hard porcelain, he listened as she walked away, her shoes echoing against the hard marble as they grew quieter and quieter, signalling to him that she had gone back downstairs, likely to go to bed. Slowly, he stood up, giving it a few minutes before he too walked downstairs, unwilling to talk to Luke after his little snap at Sarah.

His shoes echoed into the dark, his body slowing down due to exhaustion, and all he wanted was a good night sleep. When he reached the bottom of the flight of stairs, he made his way over to his office, deciding to get some more work done before he retired for the night. Crossing the floor, he quietly pulled the door open, not eager to disturb anyone, and entered his office, shutting the door carefully behind him. Inside his office, he leaned against the door, sighing deeply to himself. His reports were still sprawled over his desk, the exhausted leader shuffling over to the heavy furniture with a glum look, sitting down in his large office chair before returning to the reports.

Tomorrow was another day, but it was not a day he was looking forward to.


	33. Exile

"Lee… Leeeee…. Lee!" His name being called out brought Lee out of his slumber, his eyes slowly opening as he closed his open mouth, rubbing the saliva from the corner of it whilst sitting upright. His back ached terribly, and he could feel a piece of paper stuck to his face. Peeling it off, he looked over it, noticing it was one of the food reports from Frank, and just let it drop onto his desk. Glancing over to the source of the sound that woke him up, he noticed Omid standing there, an amused look on his face as he stared at the mess on Lee's desk.

"Had a long night, Sleeping Beauty?" he asked, crossing his arms whilst his friend just groaned groggily. Rubbing his hand over his face, he blinked, and listened as Omid continued, his voice softening. "Everyone's downstairs. It's the trial for Luke."

"Shit… Fuck, alright, give me a minute." Lee swore, standing up slowly, his back clicking from the uncomfortable position he slept in for hours. Stretching his arms upwards, he let out a quiet yawn, rubbing his back as he glanced out of the window behind him. The sunlight beamed in from outside, highlighting all of his office up, and he saw clouds rolling by, sometimes blocking the sun for a few moments before it peaked out once more. Turning around to Omid, he made his way over to his friend, his voice stern as he asked. "How's everyone doing today?"

"As well as you could expect. Nick's really chewed up about this. I don't blame him, I mean, Luke was meant to be his friend for going on twenty years! Poor guy." Omid explained, looking behind his shoulder as he added. "I gotta ask, what do you think the people will vote for?"

"I don't know. It was hard to tell yesterday, and I don't know if sleeping on it had helped much. What do you think we should do with him?" Lee muttered, scratching his facial hair covered chin.

Omid appeared surprised with the question, rubbing the back on his head as he confessed. "Honestly, I could do without any more death. If we have the option to send Luke on his way… I say we take it."

"I doubt Christa feels the same way." Lee sighed.

Nodding, Omid revealed to him. "She's still sore over the betrayal, and him nearly killing you. She doesn't like thinking about what might have happened if he succeeded. Carver would still be in charge."

"I know where she's coming from, but I agree with you. I'm tired of people dying." Lee agreed, walking past the other man, exiting the office whilst Omid closed the door behind them. Despite being on the floor above, he could clearly hear people loudly discussing what to do downstairs, listening to tempers getting worse over the suitable punishment. No one besides the two male survivors were on the first floor, all congregating down below, and the thought of dealing with broken people who wanted revenge was not something that Lee wanted to deal with. Nonetheless, he started walking towards the staircase with Omid beside him, the two sharing a look when they heard Ellie's voice snap, the words intelligible amongst the cacophony of the community.

Reaching the top, they quickly made their way down. Able to see the community gathered in a large crowd from the staircase, Lee paused, Omid carrying on, and just stared at the scene before him. Luke was standing in front of the crowd, his back to the main front doors, and just stared at the numerous faces staring back at him. The guards did all they could keeping the people at bay, making sure that they didn't do anything rash before Lee could come and give the final judgement. Knowing that they needed him quickly, he rushed down the rest of the steps, taking care not to trip and fall, before he reached the bottom.

Pushing through the noisy crowd, he noticed that his group were standing in the front, Omid rejoining Christa's side as the couple watched their old friend appear. When he got close enough to hear them, Christa started to explain the situation. "We got a situation here. People are still pretty mad over Luke's betrayal, and you're gonna have to go out there and give the final vote."

"No pressure then." He retorted sarcastically, ignoring her heated stares at the seriousness of the situation around them, instead walking away from the group to settle the matter. Reaching Luke's side, he ignored the glances the younger man gave him, rather turning back to the crowd, looking over their faces. With the appearance of their leader, heated debates had settled down, and they awaited for his verdict. Loudly, he addressed them. "Has the people come to a conclusion on what Luke's punishment should be?"

"I wish they did, but they've all been talking circles around each other all morning." Alicia sighed, walking over to Lee's side as she added. "If this continues, we're just gonna have to take the matter into our own hands. I already know I want Luke to be exiled, but Christa wants execution, and we couldn't even get an answer from Jack because of the workload."

"Look, his dad died because of his actions, so why not give Luke the same treatment!?" Ellie asked, a deep frown on her face as Walter placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping it there as they both stared at the leader and guards.

"Because, Ellie, you can use the defense that Luke did what he did to avoid his father's wrath. I know what Carver was like with his son, just like he was with me. If we exile him, we wash our hands of him. What happens to him is of his own choice." Alicia explained, glancing around the community as she added. "Please. There's been enough death as of late. Killing Luke will not bring any of our loved ones back, and it won't make their passing any easier to handle!"

Lee noticed some of the face changing, the people agreeing with each other, but some remained stubborn in their views. Crossing his arms, he sighed as people started to argue amongst themselves once more, glancing at Alicia before both of them decided that, as the leader, it was for the best if he took control of the situation. With an angered tone, he barked. "I agree with Alicia! I'm tired of killing and watching people die, and I know all of you are! We still have our humanity, it's what makes us different from the walkers, and we'll have nothing if we decide to just kill everything in our way! I vote we exile!"

Shocked with his decision, he noticed that people were mumbling to themselves and their companions, a gentle hum around them before it all fell silent, Alicia waiting for their word. Slowly, someone from the back yelled out. "We vote exile!"

"No! I don't care about humanity, all I want is for that bastard to pay for what he's done!" Another survivor yelled out, thought they were quickly outnumbered by the vast majority of the community agreeing with Lee. Glancing beside him, he watched as Luke's face fell grim, his hands clenched tightly as they were tied behind his back, preventing him from fighting against his captors. Not even sparing a look at his former friend, the traitor looked up at the people, a scowl on his face as it became apparent what the community wanted as his punishment.

Alicia scanned the entire crowd, nodding slowly as she turned to Lee. "The people have voted exile."

"Luke," he started, turning around to face the bound survivor as he gestured for the guards to come closer. "The people at Howe's have decided that you are to be exiled. You'll be sent out with the clothes on your back and your machete for protection. What you do from then on is no concern to us."

"Fine. Let me just say something." Luke asked, shuffling closer to Lee, squaring off with him as he spat. "No one is safe forever. Eventually, you're gonna have to make a choice, and no matter what you pick, someone will lose."

"Give him a coat, so he doesn't freeze to death at least." Alicia ordered a nearby guard, looking back at Luke and Lee as she added, a stern tone to her voice. "You brought this on yourself, Luke. Don't go looking for someone else to blame for your actions. This is a chance for you to turn a new leaf, find a new group and start over. Just… don't make the same mistakes."

"You're only here 'cause Dad took a shining to you! Now that he's gone, you've decided that you're gonna start cosying up to Lee!" Luke accused.

Lee scowled at those harsh words, enraged when he saw how hurt Alicia was at those words. Grabbing hold of Luke's shirt, he brought his face closer to his and snarled quietly, eyes piercing into the younger man's. "Don't you ever talk to her. Alicia is a good person, and she could do a lot better than your asshole of a father!"

Throwing him back, Lee added venomously as he watched Luke stumbling. "Don't make me regret sparing you."

"Either way… I'm a dead man." Luke scoffed, glancing over at his old group. Following his gaze, Lee watched as Christa glared at the bound survivor, a scowl on her face, whilst Omid frowned disappointingly at his harsh words. Ellie could match Christa's intense glares, staring the traitor down whilst Walter could only manage a saddened look, truly sorry for how the events have gone to bring them to that moment. When Luke turned to Nick and Sarah, Lee could see the utter betrayal on their faces, and he understood their pain, having been long friends with Luke even before Lee and his friends entered the picture. To watch as the only person left of their original group being exiled, it must have hurt them deeply.

Sarah seemed to have said all she wanted last night, instead looking away from Luke with a hurt expression on her face, standing close to Nick whilst he never broke his stare with Luke. Broken over what had happened, he finally glanced away when Luke called out. "Nick? Nick, I'm sorry for what I did."

"Save it. I don't wanna listen to your lies anymore." He spat, watching with a cold glare when a guard returned, coat and Luke's machete in hand. Lee glanced down at the item of clothing and the weapon, nodding slowly as he turned back around to Luke, both of them knowing that the time had come for him to leave.

"Goodbye, Luke." He simply said, watching with resignation whilst Joel and another guard pushed Luke forward, the door being opened to allow them to pass through. Winds blew into the building through the opened doors, Lee frowning deeply at the bite of the frost coming in, and he couldn't help but feel somewhat sorry for the situation Luke had gotten himself in. Pushed outside, Luke turned his head around, him and Lee sharing a final glare before the doors closed once more. It would be the last time he would see the younger man.

Turning his back to the closed doors, he looked over at his group, watching as Nick stared at the closed doors, a broken expression clear on his face before he just shook his head, walking away from the group. Sarah stood there as he walked away, staring at his back with an upset look, and when Omid went to call out to him did she shake her head. "It's just like before. Give him some time, I'll go and find him later."

"Are you sure? I don't feel right leaving him like that." Omid confessed, looking down at the young teen warily.

Nodding, she spared a glance at Nick, the older man disappearing into the crowd, before she explained. "He's my friend. I know how bad he can get, and after Luke… He's broken. I need to help him heal."

"Okay, Sarah. We'll trust you with it." Christa agreed, before turning her attention to Lee. "We should get the people to work."

Lee agreed silently, turning away from his friends to address the people who were still standing there, gossiping to each other over the events that just happened. Raising his hand, he quieted the people down with the gesture, and started to address them with a confident air around him. "The trial is over. Now, we should go back to work in improving the community. We'll need new survivors to bolster our numbers, and so I've decided that the scouts will be sent out to recruit, scavenge anything they can find as well."

"Some of those on construction will have to change jobs. We need a group to help in the greenhouse with Frank, and people are needed to care for the livestock with Alex's passing." Alicia added, pointing at a small group near the front of the crowd. "You three will be changed to greenhouse duty. Follow Frank and listen to what he says, the food we grow here is important."

"I can leave some notes for the people looking after the animals." Ellie offered, walking off to the paddock and her room after Alicia nodded gratefully.

"You all have your jobs to do." Lee ordered. The crowd dispersed, people moving in different directions to go and do their work, leaving their leader and his group alone for them to talk. Glancing over at Sarah, Lee's voice turned soft as he asked her. "What are you gonna do?"

Sarah thought about it, her eyes shifting after from him for a moment, until she decided and looked back at him. "I want to learn how to be a medic from Jack."

"I think you'll do well in that area. Go on then, he'll be in the infirmary with the patients." Sarah obeyed, turning around and making her way to the doctor's room alone. Pleased with her choice, Lee watched her leave for a few moments, feeling somewhat pride for how far she had come. He wondered what Carlos would have thought if he was there, watching his baby girl growing up. Hoping that he did well for the deceased man, Lee turned to the remainder of his group.

Walter smiled softly, pleased for Sarah just as much as Lee was, and yet his smile disappeared as he pointed out. "I should get my things ready. Ellie won't take long, and I shouldn't keep her waiting."

"We'll wait here for you. I don't think Nick is ready to handle goodbye, though." Christa sighed.

"It's alright. I don't want him to feel worse with this, not after just losing his best friend." Walter noted, glancing over at Lee as he added. "I won't be long."

Nodding, they watch as their friend walked off to his room, one of the stores on the ground floor being spared for temporary accommodation for him, and when he disappeared from their sight did silence fall over them. Listening to the gentle sounds of people working and talking around them, Lee glanced around the community, his community, and was inspired by how hard the people were working to make sure it thrived. Determined to make things right for them, he listened as Christa finally spoke up. "Thinking back to how we met, I never thought we'd end up like this. You sure bring people into crazy situations, don't you?"

"It's a gift." Lee joked, a smirk on his face as he added. "If you hadn't have stopped for my group that day, where do you think you guys would be?"

"I don't know, but here beats sleeping in the snow." Omid replied.

"My point is," Christa interjected, shaking her head at the humorous jabs the two men threw at each other. "I'm glad we did stop."

"Me too, Christa. I gotta admit, I don't think I could have kept going after Clementine. I'm glad you two were there to help me through." Lee confessed, handling the young child's memory better than he did before. He missed her dearly, but he felt like he could keep going, especially with the community depending on him.

"You think you'll be able to get past her?" she asked, clearly still missing the young girl.

With a frown, Lee thought about it, slowly answering the question after a few seconds. "I know that I can't stop missing her… but yeah, I think I can move on. She's gone, but that doesn't mean she's forgotten."

"We'll all remember her, and our friends. They wouldn't want us sulking anyway, especially Kenny. He'd want us to keep going." Omid pointed out, a warm smile on his face as he said it.

Lee agreed. Thinking about Kenny, he could almost hear the Floridian's voice in his head, edging him on no matter what problems he faced. Whilst he was distracted with his thoughts, Ellie had returned with a backpack full of her things, a pistol sitting in a holster that she strapped to her hip. Walter was just behind her, holding onto his own backpack, and was seemed to have been given a rifle that was strapped to his back, a coat given as well to keep him warm in the freezing cold outside. The group turned to the two arrivals, Ellie's voice gentle as she smiled sadly. "Well, this is it."

"We can walk with you to the gates, say a proper goodbye." Omid offered, following after Walter and Christa when Ellie nodded silently, the latter staying put with Lee as she watched them go.

Still staring at the group as they walked through the opened doors, Lee could hear Ellie softly sigh. "You know, a part of me wants to stay."

"If you ever change your mind, Ellie, you and Walter are always welcome here." Lee pointed out, turning to face her. She was visibly tired, bags visible under her dull eyes, but with the adventure in front of her, she seemed ready to face it. Eager almost. With a grateful smile, she stared up at him as he asked. "Where's this Prescott you're thinking of going to?"

"It's somewhere in Virginia. Alex and I were gonna make our way up there before we got stuck in Howes, and if we managed to escape I woulda gone there." She explained, saddened by the mention of her brother. "Hopefully, we find Matthew before we go up there."

"I hope you find it. Come on, let's go before the others complain of the cold." Lee ordered, starting to move to the doors with Ellie in tow. Exiting the main building, the winds weren't as bad as yesterday, though his hands still shook from the cold. Snow that had fallen during the night crunched under their boots, leaving footprints behind them as they made their way down the path, spotting Christa, Omid and Walter waiting by the main gates. Guards were posted on watch above, keeping an eye out for any danger outside the safety of their walls. The two didn't share any more words, instead reaching the group as Walter smiled, Ellie moving to his side as he glanced up at the imposing gate.

"Good luck out there, man." Omid piped up, shaking Walter's hand before he then shook Christa's.

"I'll try. Thank you, all of you." Walter thanked, grateful for the group around him, before he turned to Ellie beside him. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be. Are we gonna make our way back to the lodge you guys were at?" she asked, rubbing her arms through her thick winter coat.

Nodding, the two watched as Lee opened the gate, pulling it along the rails to allow access to the outside world. Grunting, he let go of the freezing pole, rubbing his hands together as he made his way back to Walter and the others, shaking the former's hand as he bid farewell. "Goodbye, Walter."

"Bye, Lee. I hope you lead this community to a brighter future." Releasing the leader's hand, Walter and Ellie walked outside the gate, making their way down the path leading into the vast forest. Lee closed the gate, shutting off any dangers, and made his way up a ladder that led to the pathway along the wall. Reaching the top, he stood tall, watching as Walter and Ellie grew smaller and smaller the further they walked, a saddened expression on his face as neither of them stopped to give him a final look, likely because of how hard it would be to keep going if they did.

Eventually, they were out of sight, having disappeared into the treeline without a single trace left. Whilst Christa sent Omid off to go and do his work, she remained standing on the ground, waiting as Lee made his way back down the ladder. Seeing his upset expression, she stared at him with sympathy and tried to cheer him up. "Don't worry. Ellie's a survivor, they both are. We'll see them again some day."

"I just hope they'll be alright." He confessed, glancing up at the imposing building that was his home. Breathing in deeply, he let his breath out in one long sigh, before turning back to Christa. "We should go back to my office. I want to utilize the Pen into something else, it doesn't sit right with me using it as a prison."

"I agree. You want to grab Alicia and Jack as well?" she suggested, walking alongside Lee as they both made their way back inside.

Nodding, he replied. "We won't take him from his patients for too long, but Sarah should be find for a while."

Both of them returning to the mall, they went on to collect the other two advisors before retreating to Lee's office, set on changing how things were run in their community. Sitting behind his large desk, he listened as the advisors discussed amongst each other on how to properly utilize the space they had, and he could feel a headache coming on from the stress of it all. Tapping his pen against the solid wood, he listened as Jack suggested. "I say we use it as a quarantine. People are gonna be coming here with all sorts of diseases, and they may have bite victims that they could be hiding. Allowing me and my helpers to check them over means they don't bring anything into the community."

"I like the idea of that." Alicia agreed, sitting on Lee's desk with her legs crossed over each other, her feet tapping against the floor as she added. "It would help us if we see where they came from. Any information we can gather would be well used by the scouts."

"If we agree on this, then we should fortify the Pen, make sure it's comfortable enough that they don't catch anything during their temporary stay." Christa explained, having to sit down after the baby started kicking mid-way through the debate. Jack remained close to her, willing to step in if the kicking gets worse, or she started labour early.

"People on construction could start building a roof over the exposed half. Nathan's the engineer, he could be put in charge to make sure things are done right." The doctor noted, glancing over at Lee, noticing his pained expression. "You alright, Lee?"

"Yeah, yeah, just a headache." He shrugged off, looking at the three survivors in front of him as he continued. "Alright. I say we go with Jack's idea. I'll notify Nathan of his new job, and he can gather the people to make it happen."

"Good. We'll leave you alone now, you look like you could use a break." Christa smiled, slowly standing up as she grunted in pain, accepting Jack's offer to help her out of the office. With the door closing behind them, Lee was left alone with Alicia, the woman still sitting on his desk as she appeared deep in thought, her foot ceasing in tapping against the floor. Ruffling through the reports on his desk, he allowed her to stay there, preferring the company, and starting to arrange his reports into tidy piles, eager to take a break.

He hadn't drank since that bottle of alcohol he shared with Kenny in the attic, and he felt like he could do with some bourbon if he had any, wondering if he could ask Gabriel if he had anything. Whilst he was thinking about it, he heard Alicia's soft voice pipe up, somewhat hurt by something. "Lee, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?" he replied, placing both his hands on the desk in an informal fashion, looking up at Alicia's worried face, swallowing as he asked. "Alicia, what's wrong?"

"I know I'm being too sensitive, but I can't get what Luke said out of my head. H-He knew what his father was like… I didn't have a choice in the matter. Then he was suggesting I was using you, and I…" she paused, glancing up at Lee from her stares at the floor. "Be honest with me, Lee. Do you ever see anything between us?"

Stunned by the question, he felt his heart constricting, remembering how badly his last advance on love went. With a grim look, he sighed deeply. "I don't know. Not now, I'm still sore over… over my last attempt at love."

"I'm glad. After Carver, I don't think I'm ready to go straight into another relationship, especially with my daughter. She comes first." Alicia explained, somewhat relieved with Lee's explanation. The two fell in silence, somewhat awkward with their conversation, until she slowly added. "Maybe in the future, I wouldn't say no to a drink. A-As friends, of course."

With a small smile, he nodded and joked with her. "Only if you bring bourbon with you."

"It wouldn't be a party without it." She retorted back, appearing more relaxed with the conversation after getting it off her chest. Slowly, she stood up off the desk, stretching her arms out as she explained. "I should go and check on Kate. Hopefully, she's not too much for Nathan to handle."

"If you ever need someone to mind her, my office is free. I'm stuck here all the time." Lee offered.

Surprised by the offer, Alicia stopped in her stretching, glancing down at Lee before she offered a bright smile, her arms falling down to her sides as she nodded gratefully. "That would be a big help. I prefer her in a room rather than in the loading bay with all the tools Nathan uses. Would you mind if I bring her up later on?"

"I don't." Lee shrugged, watching as Alicia nodded and left the office as well, closing the door softly behind her. Left alone, Lee leaned back in his office chair, knotting his fingers together and rested his hands on his abdomen, lifting his feet up so that they were propped onto the desk. The sunlight from outside dimmed as the sun faded behind the clouds again, Lee watching the shadows flicker with the changing light. Looking around, he decided to sneak a peek in the drawers, opening them one at a time to see what was inside, before closing it once more. Opening the top drawer on his right, he paused, spotting something half hidden under papers.

Pulling it out, he held what was a picture frame in his hands, staring at the picture with a pitying look. Carver was standing there, more clean shaven than he was during the time here, with a young boy propped up on his shoulders, a bright grin on his youthful face that Lee could recognize as Luke. The young boy had his chin resting on top of his father's head, both of them looking like they were enjoying the time out together. Beside the two was a woman, with mousy brown hair matching Luke's and dashing green eyes, standing up to Carver's nose in height. Hand resting on the grown man's shoulder, he could clearly see the wedding ring, frowning deeply as he realised the woman must have been Luke's mother; the resemblance uncanny between her and her child.

Sighing deeply to himself, he shoved the frame back into the drawer and slamming it shut, carrying on sitting there in his thoughts during his short break. Weeks had passed, the construction coming to a close, and the scouts that were sent out had returned with survivors desperate for a haven. Jack's idea for the quarantine worked wonders, as people were checked for bites and diseases, having to wear gloves and a mask to prevent himself from becoming ill. Those that were cleared integrated into the community well enough, some having skills needed for the animals and the crops, whilst other former builders and engineers were a god send for Nathan, the latter showing the ropes around.

They even came across someone who used to work as a paramedic, knowing first aid that would be vital for their community's survival. Sitting behind his desk, he went through the reports that Jack had composed for the new arrivals, frowning when he saw that they had found a bite victim amongst a small family that made their way here, the doctor having to put the victim down. Resting his chin on his hand, he continued reading through the reports, somewhat relieved when Frank noted that they managed to find a jackpot in seeds and fertilizer on a survivor's farm, convincing the woman to come with them and to give her supplies to help the community. It was evident that he took a shining to the woman, Lee could see it through their interactions, but Lee knew that Frank still missed Beth.

Wellington even surprised the community with a visit, the leaders coming to discuss trading with Lee with Edith as proof that they were from the northern community. It was enjoyable getting back into touch with the woman, both of them enjoying a short break after talks just talking about what's happened in their lives after the rebellion against Carver. Hearing that Walter and Ellie had left, she offered her condolences, before revealing that she decided to take a relationship up with Huan, both of them deciding that it was now or never regarding the relationship. By the time the leaders were ready to return to their community, having traded medicine for food and water, she bid farewell to Lee. With her gone, he had to admit that he missed the talks that they had, and noticed that Sarah missed being able to talk to Edith as well.

It wasn't just the community that changed over the weeks. Nick had become more shut off because of what happened with Luke, only coming out for Sarah, and even she was finding it difficult to convince him to keep going. Christa, Omid, even Lee were worried what would happen. Their group of friends had gone down to just five, and he didn't fancy losing anyone else. Sarah seemed to have grown more sure of herself however, taking a shining to becoming a doctor like Jack and the others who were learning, and he was proud in how far she came.

Leaning back into his chair, he glanced over at Kate, the young child colouring in on a piece of paper that they found for her, the crayons she was using sprawled over the floor. Breathing deeply, he stood up from his chair, making his way over to the busy child as he crouched, glancing down at her paper as he asked her. "What're you drawing, honey?"

Looking up at him with large eyes, she glanced down at her drawing, slowly picking it up and showing it to him clearly. Staring at it, he noticed one of the people wearing a blue jacket, black hair drawn to above her shoulders. Smiling, he pointed at it and asked. "That your mommy?"

Nodding, she smiled softly, and watched as Lee pointed out another person, their bright blue ski jacket and red glasses sticking out. "Is that Sarah?"

Nodding again, she then placed the paper back on the floor, pointing her small finger at another one, a person drawn with a large belly, and next to them is a laughably small person with facial hair. Chuckling at that, he watched as she stared at him, waiting for him to guess. With a shrug, he questioned. "Christa and Omid?"

Smiling at that, she let out a small laugh, clearly enjoying the game she was playing with him. They continued to play it, the young girl pointing to people that she drew, waiting silently for Lee to guess who it was. When she pointed at a brown coloured person, a black jacket over them with thick squiggles over their face for facial hair, he raised an eyebrow, finding it to be uncanny, and laughed. "Is that me?"

When she replied with a nod, he glanced back down at it, and complimented it. "Looks exactly like me!"

Suddenly, the door opened quickly, shocking both of the survivors as Lee moved in front of Kate, adopting a protective stance until he realised that it was Sarah that came into the room. Breathing heavily, she looked like she had ran a marathon before coming to his office, glancing over at the two as she gasped, her face relieved and excited. "Lee!"

"Sarah, what's wrong?" he asked, confused on what could be wrong to warrant her behaviour.

"It's Lilly," she revealed, taking a moment to catch her breath. "She's awake."


	34. Trouble On The Horizon

Lee knelt there, staring up at Sarah in shock at her words. Lilly was awake. The young teen seemed ecstatic with the news, a warm smile on her face whilst Lee glanced down at Kate, the child glancing up at him in confusion before glancing over at Sarah. Finally, he stood up, picking the child up to take with him, unwilling to leave her alone, and walked over to the young teen. Quickly, he asked her. "Is she alright? I need to see her."

"She''s groggy from the morphine, but other than that she's fine…" she trailed off, obviously thoughtful on something before she added. "She seems different, more closed off. I'm scared for her."

"I know, me too. Let's go." The three of them walked out of the office, Sarah closing the door behind them while Kate just looked around, unsure what was going on. Lee met her gaze, and offered the child a small smile, feeling happiness in his chest when she smiled back at him, before glancing over at Sarah. The older teen smiled warmly, sticking her tongue out in a joking manner, and laughed when Kate giggled at the action.

Watching where he was going, he let them pull faces at each other whilst they walked across the first floor, making their way over to the staircase leading downstairs. He felt nervous. It had been weeks that Lilly had been in a coma, and he was worried that there was more going on in her mind than any of them could see. Picturing the scene clearly, he could recall the sounds of yelling, the gunshot going off, and he could even remember the blood pooling on the floor. It sickened him that Carver could do that. He wondered what would have happened if he did leave Lilly that day beside the highway, going off with Nick and Pete to somewhere else. He wouldn't have met Walter, or Matthew, and he knew that eventually Carver would have found them again.

Pete would have died a lot sooner, subjected to the rain and cold, the infection from his leg meaning that they would have had to put him down. Despite all that went on, Lee was thankful that he did listen that day. He lost friends, but he could use his position to help people, far more than what Carver would have done. Slowly, he walked down the stairs, his arm underneath Kate to stop her from sliding down, his other hand gripping onto the railing. His feet echoed as they tapped down the stairs, the leader wanting to hurry up and get to the infirmary, wanting to make sure that Lilly was alright.

"Lee, wait up!" Sarah called, trying her best to keep up with the taller survivor without accidentally slipping down the stairs. When both of them reached the bottom, he walked briskly around the staircase, Kate bobbing along with his movements, and wasted no time entering the infirmary, Sarah by his side.

With the quarantine, less people were clogging the room, most having recovered from their injuries during the rebellion and went back to do their work. Jack sat behind his desk, writing out more reports that were likely going to be left in Lee's office later on that day. Unable to see them with his busy work needed to be done, he was silent as Sarah brought Lee over to the gurney that Lilly was sitting on, the awoken survivor lying down with her hands resting in her lap. The top half of the gurney had been pushed up, helping her sit up. When they neared her, he winced at the scarred skin around her eye, the actual socket covered with an eyepatch rather than bandages.

Moving around to her other side, Sarah smiled softly as she muttered. "I brought Lee here. He's been worried about you."

Following after the young teen, he stood there, Kate holding onto him for support, and he couldn't help but hold his breath at how terrible Lilly looked. Her remaining eye was dark, almost lifeless, with dark bags underneath and hair sticking to her forehead, the rest greasy and limp. It wasn't just how she looked physically, she was drained emotionally, her face grim and pale as she just stared ahead with a blank expression. Softly, he called out to her. "I'm glad you're awake. Everyone's concerned about you, we were scared that you…"

She didn't reply. However, her head slowly turned to him, glancing up at Lee with a saddened expression, before she turned her gaze to Kate. The young girl seemed undeterred by the woman's injured appearance, and instead wanted to go to her, sticking her hand out for Lilly to hold whilst she croaked. "Let me hold her."

Nodding, he gently placed the child on her lap, moving back whilst Kate just held onto Lilly's hand, playing with the older survivors slender fingers. She allowed the young girl to do so, instead asking Lee quietly. "What...What happened that day? I remember pushing you out of the way and then… nothing."

"Carver shot you." He revealed, watching Lilly's face fall in shock, looking away as he continued. "He was meant to shoot at me, most likely a last desperate attempt to stop the rebellion, but you took it instead."

Pausing, he smiled softly, recounting the memory with crystal clarity. Shoulders sagging from tiredness, he just stared, and finally he muttered. "You saved me."

"I… I don't even remember moving, but that does sound like what I did." Lilly admitted, watching Kate swinging her legs over the gurney. "What happened after?"

"It all went to shit, like it always does. That's how I got this." Pointing to the ragged scar on his cheek, he quickly added. "Carver made a run for the Pen and I chased after him. We fought, and I had to stab him to stop him from killing Sarah…He died shortly after that."

With a deep frown, Lilly finally looked back at Lee, her tone cold as she hissed quietly. "Good. I hope his death was as painful as it could have been."

"It was. I made sure of it." Lee agreed, understanding Lilly's deep hatred for the deceased man, before his voice grew quieter. "Luke was exiled the day after."

Spotting Sarah looking away from the corner of his eye, he remained silent as he watched her, noticing her inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth, recognizing it as her way of calming down. Lilly noticed this too, glancing over at the teen as she mumbled. "He's gone..."

"Shit… I hated him for what he did, but I know what it's like being alone out there. It's not easy." She sighed, glancing up at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression, causing some concern with Lee and Sarah when she fell silent. Both of them shared a look, before she glanced back at the injured survivor, moving closer to her side.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, she started to explain. "Lee's taken over Howe's now. We're working to make it a better place."

Pausing, she waited for Lilly to look at her once more, but before she continued, Jack's voice interrupted her, the doctor walking over from his desk as he explained. "I hate to tell you this but you're not gonna regain sight in your damaged eye. The bullet ricocheted off your zygomatic bone, causing the bone fragments to destroy the orbital and the actual eye ball."

The woman held her breath, her hand reaching up to the eyepatch, slowly hovering over it with her fingers for a few seconds before she teared it away, her head turning away. Lee stood there, watching her taking in deep breaths, her hands shaking with the revelation, and he worried for her, noticing Kate trying to get the woman's attention again. Quickly, Lee took Kate off her lap, the child letting out a loud noise of displeasure over being moved, before a look from the grown man quietened her. Glancing back at her, he watched as Sarah continued to try to reach her, the teen's hand being shrugged off in the process. Slowly, she piped up. "Lilly, are you alright?"

"I-I need some time. Please, just leave me alone." She begged, still staring away from the trio. With a saddened expression, he jumped slightly as Lilly finally lost her temper, her voice sharp as she snapped. "I said go!"

"Lee." Jack called out. Lee glanced up, spotting the doctor signalling for him and Sarah to follow him out of the infirmary. Doing so, he spared one last glance at Lilly, sighing quietly as he moved away, gesturing for Sarah to follow after him. Kate continued to stare over Lee's shoulder, waving goodbye to Lilly before they all left the infirmary. The door closed behind them quietly, leaving the injured survivor alone with her thoughts, and Lee couldn't stop the concern he felt gnawing at his insides, glancing behind at the door. While he continued to stare at it, he listened as Jack spoke up.

"You gotta forgive Lilly for that outburst. When she was shot, the bullet caused severe brain damage to the front of her brain. Mostly to the frontal lobe." He explained.

With a confused expression, he stayed silent as Jack smiled and chuckled softly, the first time he noticed the doctor amused with something, before he finally elaborated on his explanation. "The frontal lobe is basically the handbrake of the mind. It handles with impulse control, memories, even motor function. With that damaged, Lilly's gonna have more difficulty in controlling her emotions, and remembering anything. She will get even more frustrated, and that's without going into her self-esteem with her looks."

"Jesus. Is there anything we can do for her?" Lee asked, feeling sympathy for her.

Sarah crossed her arms, frowning sadly as Jack shook his head, sounding genuinely sorry for his inability to help her. "I can't repair the damage, so the implications are for life, but we can help her cope. Therapy is something I can suggest for her, but I have to make the decision to cut her loose from scout work. She's in too much danger if she's out there."

"She's not gonna thank you for that." He pointed out.

"If she's having trouble with her emotions, we have to be there for her." Sarah spoke, going into further detail as both adults looked down at her. "Treating her like a delicate doll is only gonna push her further away. I'd like to be the one who talks to her, if that's okay."

"You sure, Sarah?" Lee asked, quickly adding when she turned her gaze to him. "I saw how quickly she turned on us. I don't wanna put you in a position where you have to bear the brunt of that."

"It's not her fault. With the therapy and help we can give for her vision, Lilly can recover. It just takes time. I can do it." She insisted.

Jack nodded, glancing back up at Lee as he defended her decision. "I agree. Lilly trusts Sarah, and she's definitely a lot better with handling emotions than I am. Give her a chance."

Thinking about it, Lee stared down at Sarah's pleading face, unsure whether he wanted to put her in that position, the responsibility new and foreign to the young teen, who had been sheltered for so long before. Eventually, he gave in, nodding as he forfeited. "Alright, Sarah. If it gets too much, just tell me and we can think of someone else for the job."

"It's fine. I know people who needs this besides Lilly, it wouldn't be bad to have someone assigned for more permanent work." She suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. God knows how many people here need someone to talk to, hell it might do me some wonders." Jack sighed, rubbing the nape of his neck. Just as he was about to say something, the doctor was cut off by the walkie talkie in Lee's jacket crackling, the sound drawing the group's attention as, holding Kate tightly, he pulled the object out of his pocket. Holding it up to his mouth, he pressed the button and talked into it.

"Who's this?" he asked, waiting for a few moments for the the reply.

"It's Laurel." The voice replied, the nervousness evident to Lee as he frowned, listening as she quickly explained why she was radioing him. "I've been looking at the timetables for the deliveries between us and Wellington, and one of the trucks was due last night. We haven't heard of them, even after giving them until this morning, and I'm afraid that the walkers might have gotten them."

"Shit, I never even noticed." Lee swore, glancing up at Jack as the doctor frowned, his eyebrows furrowed in a concerned expression. "I'll take the van and go along the trade route, see if they're stuck somewhere… or if something's happened to them."

"You shouldn't really be going outside the walls, Lee. Someone can be sent in your place." Jack suggested.

Sarah nodded to that, adding with a worried look. "It's not safe out there. What are we gonna do if… if you don't come back?"

"It's just a check on the trading route. I'll have some of the guards come with me in case we run into trouble." He countered, turning his attention back to the radio as he continued. "I'll set out soon. Lemme just grab some of the guards and find someone to take Kate."

"Alright, be safe." The radio died back down, quickly being shoved in Lee's pocket as he glanced over nervously at Jack, both of them concerned with the problem. A truck was missing, no doubt with supplies, food and water, that Wellington had sent down. Sarah seemed worried about the problem as well, slowly taking Kate off Lee, the grown man allowing it. The young girl just stared at the teen, who smiled softly at her, before her face fell grim once more.

"I can look after Kate while you're gone." She offered, staring up at Lee as she added. "Please, be careful."

"Don't worry. I should be back before dinner." With that, he waved with a smile at Kate, his smile fading when she just watched him, the child no doubt knowing that something was wrong. Sarah said nothing else, rather watching with Jack as Lee turned around, making his way to the loading bay whilst pulling his radio out again, quickly calling out to anyone who could hear him on it. "Anyone there? I need a couple guards to meet me in the loading bay."

Walking, he waited in silence for a few seconds, his lips pulling into a thin line before someone finally responded. "It's Kristina. What's it for?"

"Laurel radioed me. One of the Wellington trucks is late for delivery, real late, so I was gonna go along the trade route to see if we can find them." He explained, pushing the door leading into the loading bay. Glancing inside, he noticed Nathan underneath one of the vans, his toolbox close by with numerous tools scattered across the floor, the engineer lying on his back on top of those rolling boards often found in garages. Beside him was someone Lee didn't recognize, his cap hiding dirty blonde hair, and his face half obscured by the brim. Leaning against the van, he chatted away with Nathan, ignoring the leader as he continued to talk to Kristina.

"I'm just on patrol today, so I can come down. I'll grab Joel on the way." She replied.

Relieved, Lee sighed and gratefully responded. "Thanks, Kristina. It's much appreciated."

"Anything to help." The radio died down again and, placing it in his pocket, he made his way over to the two gossiping survivors. With a raised eyebrow, he listened as the unknown man, noticing him to be fairly young looking, pointed out.

"It wasn't actually me who did this, you know. Riley asked me to show her how to drive, made it easier for supply runs." Lee winced when Nathan banged his head on the underneath of the van, the sound echoing throughout the room along with his sharp yell of pain. Watching, he stared down as Nathan pulled himself from under the vehicle, his eyes narrowed in annoyance that made the younger man glance away, rubbing the part between the neck and his shoulder.

Chuckling, Lee finally piped up. "Riley caused this? A fourteen year old girl?"

"Hey," the unknown man started, pointing his finger at Lee with an amused expression. "She's a very persuasive fourteen year old girl."

"Whoever did this, you idiots could have ruined the suspension. Man, it's gonna take me all day to repair this damage, Austin." Nathan complained, making sure to kick Austin in the shin with his thick boots, the latter grunting in pain as he hobbled over to the shelves. Lee watched with amusement, before Nathan asked him. "You down here for something, Lee?"

"Yeah, I need to take one of the van's out on the trade route. One of the Wellington trucks is late on delivery and I just wanna make sure they ain't in trouble." He explained, glancing over the ruined van slowly. "Shit."

"My thoughts exactly. You're gonna have to take the other one, at least until I can fix this one. Thank god we use Wellington trucks for deliveries, otherwise we'd be late." The engineer sighed, quickly returning to his position under the van, sparks flying from underneath as he got back to work. Moving over to the rack where the keys are kept, he plucked the ones needed for the working van, turning around and noticing the door opening. Kristina appeared, smiling warmly at the leader whilst dragging Joel in, brushing her shortly cut hair out of her face.

Joel on the other hand looked exhausted, as he usually did, but his once sickly pale skin had turned darker again, radiating as he rubbed his eyes lazily. Yawning, he grumbled. "Kristina told me we're going to find a truck?"

"Yeah," Lee nodded, tossing the keys to Joel. "Start the van up, you're driving."

Catching the keys, Joel sighed and walked over to the van, followed by Kristina and Lee, the former holding her gun and pulled a pistol out of her holder, passing it to Lee with a concerned. "We don't know what we're gonna run into out there. You need something to defend yourself with."

"Thanks." He replied, taking the pistol and shoving it in his pocket along with the radio. Reaching the open door, he allowed the female survivor to climb in first, waiting for her to sit down before climbing up into the passenger seat, closing the door whilst Austin opened the shutters. Staring in the wing mirror, Lee just sat in silence whilst Joel turned the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life as he set the gear into reverse, backing the vehicle out of the building. Once it was fully out, the shutters were closed, preventing anything from sneaking into the community.

Joel kept driving in silence, his fingers tapping against the steering wheel as they drove along the path leading to the front gate. Watching out of the window, Lee leaned his elbow against the door, his cheek resting on the palm of his hand. When they reached the front gate, they all watched as one of the guards on gate duty opened it, pulling it and standing there as Joel drove the van through, closing it once they were driving down the road. With them outside the community, Kristina finally started to talk. "You have a clue what we're gonna find?"

"No. I'm worried, Laurel thinks it's walkers." Lee replied, lifting his face off his hand and instead rested both hands on his lap, watching the trees passing by as Joel made his way to the highway.

"Walkers could have caused them to crash, it's not unheard of." Joel pointed out, leaning back in the driver's seat as he added. "We go along the usual route, see if we can find them. If not, we're gonna have to go up to Wellington to deliver the news."

"I've never been there. Sarah wanted to go, didn't she?" Kristina asked. Lee's face fell grim at that, recalling the conversation they had back at the trailer park. Joel noticed the air getting thicker with awkwardness, elbowing Kristina in the rib for her thoughtlessness regarding the sensitive issue, and she quickly realised what she said, her hand rubbing against her mouth as she muttered. "Shit, I'm sorry. Forget I said it."

"You're not wrong. She chose to stay, but I can see that she really wanted to go." He sighed, glancing at his reflection in the wing mirror, staring at the deep gash in his cheek. "She didn't want to abandon our friends. Especially Nick, after what happened to Luke."

"She's a good kid who's lost so much. I worry about her sometimes." Joel confessed, coughing quietly as he added. "Not that I don't enjoy this lovely conversation, but we're close to the highway. We could be out here for hours before we find the truck."

Kristina sighed and turned to talk to Lee, noticing the leader almost half asleep, and quickly suggested to him. "You haven't slept for weeks. Have a few here, we'll wake you up if we find the truck."

Lee didn't want to sleep, but Kristina was right. Since he took up the title of leader to Howe's, he's found very little time to actually sit down and have a good night's sleep, not even having his own room to retire to. Carver must have been like this before, and knowing what it was like after taking the responsibility, Lee could think about how the pressure changed the man. He worried that it would happen to him, and all he could feel was helplessness if that came to be. Deciding to have a few hours, he settled down, crossing his arms as he let out a long sigh, eyes closing and he found out quickly just how exhausted he was. The gentle hum of the van sent him into a deep sleep.

His sleep wasn't haunted by dreams, and he was thankful, unsure if he could cope more nightmares depriving him of what little sleep he can get. Rather he floated in darkness, emptiness, nothing that could be seen for as long as he could see, and he just thought about before, finding solace in his memories of a better time. A time before the dead starting eating each other. He wondered if he would have met his friends if this didn't happen; Kenny, Christa, Omid, even Clementine and Sarah. Even if he didn't kill that senator, he would have been living in a loveless marriage, wanting a family yet being denied at every turn, with only his job keeping him happy. He didn't know if he wanted that life anymore. If he had a chance to go back, he wondered if he would take the chance, or if he would use it to change the past.

He just wanted his friends back.

As quickly as he fell asleep, the van braking violently pulled him out of his slumber, his head lurching forward as eyes snapped open. Blurred vision, he rubbed them with the back of his hand, listening as Joel quietly mumbled. "Holy shit."

"What's going…?" Opening his eyes, he glanced out of the windscreen, he paused in his question as he spotted what the other two survivors were staring at. Eyes widened, he quietly swore. "God…"

They had found the truck. Crashed into the highway barrier, the front of the vehicle smashed and the tires shredded, the fabric long buried under a fresh layer of snow. It wasn't the state of the vehicle that brought their attention, rather the bodies littering the scene, one propped up against the abandoned truck with their head lowered, their face obscured from view. Opening the door, he listened as Joel growled. "This is fucked up."

"We gotta check for survivors," Kristina piped up, following after Lee as they exited the van. "They are the only ones who can tell us what happened."

"From the state of this, I can already take a guess." Lee sighed, walking carefully through the snow, making his way to the truck. The insignia of the community was spray painted onto the side, likely identification for both Howe's and Wellington when the truck returned. Opening the door leading into the cab, he checked through it, noticing the keys gone and the windscreen shattered, before something on the seat caught his eye. Picking it up, he recognized it to be a bullet casing, examining it as he muttered. "What the fuck?"

"What did you find?" Kristina called out, checking bodies on the floor as Lee crawled back out the truck, bullet casing in hand as he showed her the small object. With a raised eyebrow, she glanced down at it, before looking back up at him as she shrugged. "It's a bullet casing."

"I know what it is." He frowned, throwing it to the ground as he pointed out. "I found it in the cab of the truck."

"Maybe they were firing at walkers?" she suggested, glancing around with a nervous expression.

"Why would it be inside the cab then? Someone fired into the truck, not out of it." He noted, looking down at the bodies as he then asked. "You find any survivors?"

"No, I don't think we are. With the wounds and the cold, they couldn't have survived for more than a few hours, and they must have been here since last nig-."

"Over here!" Joel suddenly yelled, scaring both of his companions as they jumped. Lee turned around, seeing Joel kneeling by the body propped up against the truck, his hand resting on the body's shoulder. Rushing over, he noticed the body not being quite as dead as he thought, the head slowly lifting up as he noticed their pale face, eyes squinted in agony and hair hidden by the hood he had up.

Kneeling down, Lee was shocked by the blood pooling underneath him, his hoodie stained in the red fluid, a dark spot over his abdomen suggesting that was where he was shot. His breathing was ragged, his breath forming a large mist in front of his face and Lee could see that they were losing him. Shaking him gently, he asked urgently. "What the fuck happened here?"

"B-Bandits. They came… out of the woods, sh-shot our windscreen out. We… We didn't even see the barrier until it was too late." He explained, grunting in pain as his hand pushed against his bleeding wound. "I've been sitting he-here all night… I thought… I was gonna die. They took all the supplies, but… B-Buddy."

"Who's Buddy?" Kristina asked, trying to get as much information as possible before the man passed away.

Turning to her, he breathed heavily, trying to point at one of the cars left abandoned on the road. "When th-the shooting started, I locked him… in there. Please… Please, take him. D-Don't leave him there…"

Glancing over at the car he pointed at, Lee got up on his feet, running over to the abandoned vehicle whilst Kristina and Joel took care of the injured man, his feet crunching against the fresh snow. Reaching the car, he glanced inside the back window, noticing something curled up underneath a half destroyed blanket. Muttering under his breath, he opened the door, careful when he reached to pull the blanket away. Slowly, the fabric peeled away, and he was surprised to what he found underneath. Staring at it, he called back to Kristina. "It's a dog!"

The medium sized animal was curled up, its head lifting up when it felt the blanket being moved from on top of it, staring up at Lee with big brown eyes. Noticing it to be a labrador, he clicked his top, offering his hand for the dog to sniff, calmly talking to it. "Hey, Buddy. Didn't think you'd be a dog."

Noticing the collar around its neck, he hooked his fingers around it, pulling the animal gently out of the car. Allowing it to jump down, he closed the door again when he noticed the dog running towards Kristina and the injured man, frantic whines coming from the animal as it licked the man's, growing more panicked when the man made no movement to acknowledge the dog. Following after it, Lee frowned sadly as Kristina looked up at him, slowly shaking her head as she muttered. "He's gone."

"All the supplies are gone too." Joel sighed in annoyance, walking over to the two from the back of the truck, glancing down at the dog with a surprised expression. "Is that a fucking dog?"

"That's Buddy." Kristina replied, stroking the top of the dog's head with an affectionate smile. Slowly, she stood up again, glancing back at the man as she frowned. "Fuck. Bandits just ruin _everything!"_

"We gotta get back to Howe's, right now. We're out in the open, the bandits are likely watching these roads for more supplies." Joel snapped, glancing over his shoulder at the long road ahead of them, pointing to the van as he quickly added. "Just shove the dog in the back, then we get the fuck outta Dod-"

Gunshots fired. Lee's heart practically stopped as he launched himself behind a car, fishing the pistol out of his pocket as he held it close. Glancing past once the gunshots stopped, he saw Kristina and Buddy crawling over to the van, the female survivor opening the door and shoving the dog inside, climbing in whilst the gunshots returned, forcing Lee to hide behind the car once more. Something moved in the corner of his eye, and his hands moved on their own as he aimed the gun, pausing with his finger on the trigger when the person turned out to be Joel. Holding his own rifle, he glanced over the car, quickly retracting his head when a bullet skipped across the roof. "Fuck! That was close to shooting my goddamn brains out!"

"Who the fuck are these people?!" Lee snapped, shooting off into the trees when he had an opening.

"Probably the bandits! I don't know, you wanna walk over and ask for identification?!" Joel snapped sarcastically, firing his rifle whilst Lee just glared heavily, spotting someone attempting to run for the van. Aiming his pistol, he fired a few times, watching as the person's leg gave out from underneath them, shooting them in the head when they collapsed to the ground.

Yells could be heard over the gunfire, Lee listening as he made out someone else screaming. "They got Maddie! Get the fuckers, leave the van intact!"

"They wanna steal the van!" Lee shouted back to Joel.

With a scowl, he continued firing as he snapped. "They can sure as hell try!"

There was too many. Lee frowned as more and more bandits just poured out from the woods, deciding to try and run for the van. Shooting his pistol at them, he took the moment of cease fire to creep to the other side of the car, rushing to another one as he yelled to Joel. "Go to the van! I'll distract them!"

Joel paused in his firing, kneeling behind the car as he shook his head, replying with a desperate tone in his voice. "Lee, we can't leave yo-!"

"I said GO!" he interrupted, skidding across the ground behind another car to avoid the gunfire following after him, the bullets ricocheting off the spoiler and metal framework. Wincing at sparks coming off a bullet hitting the car, Lee shielded his eyes with his arm, before aiming his pistol over the bonnet, staring at the bandits making their way out of the woods. Firing at them, he forced them into hiding behind the trees and barrier, managing to shoot someone who was tending to the corpse of the first person he shot.

With their attention on him, he started moving them further away from Joel and Kristina, glancing over to the van when he saw some of the bandits breaking off from the group, making their way to the van with Kristina hiding inside. Shifting his eyes over to Joel, he yelled out desperately. "Joel! Help Kristina!"

"Shit!" Joel swore, realising how close the bandits to their vehicle. Standing up, he shot at the would be thieves, managing to get one in the neck as they backed off, their hand pressed against the wound as they staggered back, falling onto their back and, whilst distracted by their friend being shot, the other was quickly offed by Joel as well. Lee smiled in relief, knowing his friends were safe, until he noticed one having sneaked around the van and getting ready to shoot Joel from behind.

"Joel!" he yelled, unable to move and save him with bandits bearing down on him, and instead watched helplessly. Turning around, Joel was too slow to react, and a gunshot rang out. Lee held his breath, only releasing it when the bandit dropped down dead, a blood splattered on the snow underneath them. Joel stood there dumbfounded, until he noticed Kristina with the car door open, having shot the bandit to save him. Quickly, he rushed into the van, shutting the door behind him as he crawled into the driver's seat.

Lee watched as the van started, the vehicle backing up before spinning around, and he shot at the rest of the bandits to give them time. What he didn't count on was the van backing up quickly, Kristina opening the back doors and yelling loudly. "Get in!"

"Oh, goddammit!" Lee snapped, waiting for the opportunity between fires to rush in, jumping into the back as Kristina closed the doors again. Lying on the floor, he slowly got up, shouting at Joel. "Get the fuck outta here!"

The van skidded across the snow, the engine roaring loudly as they sped down the highway, Joel trying to best to dodge the cars littering the road. Lee grunted as he slid across the back of the van, trying to stop himself from slamming into the wall as Joel did a turn to dodge a truck, Kristina slamming into him, being unable to stop herself sliding. Both of them held onto the wall, trying to steady themselves as Lee peered out of the windshield in front of the seats. All he could see was trees rushing past him, the skies bright up above. Slowly, the van drove at a steady pace, allowing the two survivors in the back to stand up, Lee walking over to the seats as he noticed the dog sitting in the passenger seat, panting loudly as it stared up at him.

Staring at it, he listened as Kristina sighed, not looking at her as she mumbled. "What have we started, Lee?"


	35. Message To Wellington

The journey back to Howe's was done in complete silence. Listening to the soft hum of the van as it drove down the path leading up to the community's walls, he glanced over at Kristina, the woman sitting opposite him in the back of the van, a hand resting on top of her knee as she just stared at the floor. She was worried, scared even, and he didn't blame her. In fact, he felt the same. Finally, she met his gaze, the two holding it before she offered a small smile, it falling halfway and ended up being more of a grimace. Forcing a smile back, they said nothing and carried on sitting there whilst the van drove along quietly.

"We're almost there." Joel called back, turning his head slightly before he too fell silent. Lee hummed at that, staring down at his stretched out legs with a deep frown. He didn't know what to do, or how to fix this problem for the community, but what he did know was that Wellington would need to be informed of what had happened, and the people that they lost. Slowly, the van slowed down to a stop, Lee and Kristina lurching sideways with the motion, before they straightened out again.

"Hey, we're back, open the damn gate!" he heard Joel yell out of the window, annoyance clear in his words as they waited for the guards inside the community to open the gate. Standing up, Lee peered through the space between the two seats, ignoring Buddy sitting in the passenger seat, the dog panting loudly with squinted eyes. Joel drove silently, watching the people move out of the way, closing the gate again once the vehicle was inside the walls. With the van driving back along the path to the back of the large building, he continued standing, watching silently as Joel sighed, removing one of his hands from the wheel as he scratched his jaw, unsure what to say.

"What are we gonna do?" he asked, staring straight ahead as Lee thought about it, quickly adding. "Wellington's gotta know about their people. Jesus, what the fuck have we gotten into now? First Carver, now this."

"I gotta hold a meeting first. The others will know what to do, but you're right. We gotta let Wellington know about what's happened to their people, and their supplies." Lee agreed, resting his arm on the top of the passenger seat.

"Well, shit." Joel swore, resting his head on the palm of his hand, his elbow propped against the door as he drove slowly. Behind them, Kristina said nothing, still sitting there as she stared at the wall opposite her, Lee glancing behind himself to see her face contorted in worry. Feeling the van turn around, she looked back out of the windshield, seeing the shutters opening, Nathan standing in the open door with a cloth, rubbing his hands clean of whatever dirtied them.

Driving inside, Joel stopped the van, turning the keys in the ignition. The van died down, the engine no longer humming, and the sound of the doors opening behind him caused Lee to spin around, noticing that Kristina was jumping out of the back, Nathan there to help her down. Following after them, he grunted as he landed on the solid marble floor, pausing briefly before he managed to straighten himself. Staring at Nathan, he saw the engineer's concerned expression, his voice quiet as he asked them. "Where's the truck? Lee, what happened out there?"

"Bandits. They just… murdered the people who were driving the truck, stole the supplies. If Lee hadn't diverted their attention so Joel could get to the van…" Kristina paused, clearly traumatized over the near death encounter with the bandits. Lee stared at her, his gaze full of sympathy, and he listened as Nathan inhaled deeply, sighing to himself.

"Fuck. We needed those supplies too." He groaned, rubbing the nape of his neck as he asked their leader. "What you planning on doing?"

"I gotta talk it out with the others, but we'll get things sorted. We have to." Lee replied, turning to Kristina as he asked her. "What are we gonna do with Buddy?"

"You can take him. He might make your office a little less depressing to be in." She joked, turning her head when Joel opened the passenger door, allowing the dog to jump out onto the marble floor. Barking, he searched the room, sniffing out anything that sparked his curiosity, and was watched by all the survivors as NAthan raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we lost our supplies, but at least we got a dog. Always a good bargain." He interjected sarcastically, though the panting dog with his large brown eyes seemed to have a calming effect on the engineer. Kneeling down, he stroked Buddy affectionately, scrunching up the excess skin and causing the dog to pull a funny face. Lee watched with an amused expression, crossing his arms, enjoying the moment of peace before he had to hold that meeting. Suddenly, he heard the door opening, glancing up at it and spotting Sarah peeking through, eyes wide when she saw the dog.

"Woah!" she started, making her way to the animal quickly. "A dog! It's been so long since I seen one! Hey, there…"

"His name's Buddy." Lee started, smiling at the scene below him, watching Sarah stroke Buddy behind his ears. "We found him whilst we were looking for the truck."

The mention of the truck caused Sarah's happy expression to falter, her eyes staring sadly as the dog before she glanced upwards, staring at the older survivor as he too shared her saddened expression. He didn't know what to tell her, or how to make the young teen feel better, but he wasn't given a chance to say anything else when she muttered back to him. "Did you guys find it?"

"Yeah, we did…" he nodded, ignoring the looks of concern on Nathan and Kristina as he kneeled down, staring at Sarah as she continued to stroke the dog dejectedly, the animal somehow sensing her depressed state and nudging her hand, eager to make her smile again. Watching as she stroked the dog from the top of his head to the back, he slowly started to explain the incident, recalling it with perfect clarity. "Some people came out of the woods and made the truck crash. They… stole everything in it."

"The people from Wellington didn't make it, did they?" she asked, sighing deeply as she added. "I thought we're would be fine for a while, but… I don't know. What are we gonna do? They're gonna keep stealing our supplies."

"We'll figure it all out, honey. Don't worry." He tried to comfort, frowning deeply at the distrustful look in her eyes as she just nodded. She remained silent, unwilling to say anymore on the matter in fear that it would just wear her down further, and so Lee decided to finish their conversation with a quiet mutter. "I'll head up now. You alright with Buddy?"

She nodded, a small smile building back up on her face, her eyes lighting up as the dog licked her face, a soft giggle coming from the young teen. The heartwarming scene did some good for him, igniting the joy that was gone for a while. Slowly, he made his way to the door, pulling the walkie talkie from his pocket as he brought it up to his mouth, pressing the button before he started speaking into it. "Alicia, Jack, Christa? You guys there?"

"I'm here." Christa replied immediately, a short pause afterwards as she quickly added. "What's up? You guys manage to find the truck?"

"That's, erm… That's what I wanna talk to you guys about. I need all three of you in my office, and quick. We got problems." He grumbled, turning the radio off before any of the others could reply. Opening the door leading into the rest of the building, he exited the loading bay, closing the door behind him before making his way over to the staircase. His feet dragged, exhaustion hitting him again after the events of the day so far, paying no attention to the survivors that walked past him, some acknowledging his presence whilst others continued in their conversations.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he glanced upwards, listening as he could hear people talking upstairs. Inhaling deeply, he sighed as he made his way up the steps, taking two at a time with a jogging pace. Quickly, he made it to the top of the staircase. Glancing over at the large space in the middle of the first floor, he noticed people sitting on the benches, some of the children playing tag, laughing loudly whilst their parents enjoyed the moment of peace to talk about anything, likely enjoying the distraction from how their world was like. It just hit him harder knowing what he knew, the bandits taking the supplies straight out of the children's mouths, and he couldn't do anything before. Determined, he was ready to defend what he had worked hard to develop.

Carver couldn't stop him, and he refused to allow the bandits to take what belonged to his community. With a confident stride, he made his way to his office, offering a warm smile to the children as they ran past him, too engrossed in their game to pay him any attention. Watching them as they ran off, spotting some hiding behind the potted plants, he chuckled to himself, before turning his attention back to the door leading into his office, only a few feet away from where he was standing. Grabbing the doorknob, he twisted it and entered his office, leaving the door slightly ajar for when the others would get there. Quickly, he saw Christa had already made it before him, sitting on his desk to give her swollen feet some rest.

She was worried, he could see it clearly on her face, and he made his way to his desk as she asked him. "What happened out there? You sounded… off."

"We found the truck." He revealed, sitting down in his large office chair with a low groan, feeling everywhere tense up from the exertion. "It wasn't good."

Before she could reply, the door opened more with a loud creak, both of the survivors glancing over to see Alicia opening it, Jack walking in after her as he loudly apologized, closing the door behind him to give the meeting some privacy. "Apologies, Lee. I had some patients that needed immediate care, but they should be fine for a while now. Especially with Sarah having reappeared from wherever she disappeared to."

"She went to the loading bay to greet me. I'm sorry if it caused any inconvenience for you or the patients." Lee replied, somewhat worried about the workload on Jack's shoulders, especially when Sarah kept disappearing on him.

Shaking his head, he just sighed. "It's no trouble. She's a godsend when we have to talk to Lilly. Somehow, I think she only listens to Sarah now."

"Anyway, you called us up for something?" Alicia asked, moving towards the desk with the doctor beside her.

Placing both of his hands on his desk, Lee nodded, sparing a quick glance at Christa before he started to further explain the problem. "Yeah. We ran into a big problem on the road. The truck was found but it was ran off the road by other survivors, and all the supplies, food, water, even medicine… they're all gone."

"Jesus. Bandits?" Christa interjected, staring down at Lee as she quickly asked him, concern evident in her voice. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt anyone, did they?"

"No, we all managed to get away. Wellington will most likely know something is up by now, their truck was scheduled to return to their base hours ago, but we have no way of communicating with them." He pointed out, intertwining his fingers together as he stared down at his hands, eyebrows furrowing in frustration as he sighed. "The truck due to leave tomorrow from Howe's. I'll go with it, bring the news myself and see what we can do to protect the next shipments."

"Are you sure about this? With the attacks on the last truck, I'm certain the bandits will attack this one." Alicia objected, adding quickly when the leader glanced up at her. "We can't afford to lose you. We've just got Howe's back on track to thrive, your death will send everyone backwards and cause fighting for leadership."

"I agree with Alicia, it's too dangerous out there with the bandits." Jack nodded, crossing his arms with a concerned expression, worried about the danger of the bandits outside their walls. "I say someone else can go in your place."

Lee frowned at this, annoyed with being cooped up as he asked. "How can I be the leader this community needs when you guys want to keep me from doing anything?"

"Look, I know we're worried about what will happen if he goes, but I have to side with Lee on this matter. He can take care of himself, and we can increase the security on the truck to provide extra protection." Christa insisted, earning a smile of appreciation from the leader.

"I suppose." Alicia backed down, looking up at Christa before moving her gaze back to Lee, continuing with a more confident tone. "I'll go with you. It'll help if you have at least one of the advisors to hold discussions with the leaders. Christa and Jack can run things while we're gone."

"That's actually not a bad idea." Christa agreed, turning to Lee as she comforted him. "Things will be cared for here while you guys are gone. Don't worry."

"Alright, but I don't want you pushing yourself too hard. We'll only be gone for the day, two at most." Lee insisted, before the light fading behind him alerted to just how long time had passed since he set out. Turning back to the three advisors standing around his desk, he decided to conclude the meeting, having spoken about all he needed to, and grabbed some reports as he dismissed them. "You guys should go and get dinner."

"What about you?" Christa asked, starting to stand up slowly as she added. "You have to eat too, Lee."

"I'm fine for now. I'm not really that hungry anyway." He brushed off, his gaze unmoving from the reports in his hands. Christa said nothing, knowing that there was no pushing Lee to eat or leave his office, and so she, along with Jack by her side, exited the office. Alicia remained, if only for a moment, staring at Lee with her brown eyes saddened, until she too left him to his work. Alone, he placed the reports back on the desk and sighed heavily, leaning back into his comfortable office chair, head tilted backwards so that he stared up at the ceiling. The light in the office slowly faded away, the sun setting behind him and dyeing the room in warm shades, the spotlights along the walls coming on once it was dark enough.

Sitting there, it felt like hours, and he made no effort to go and eat or to do his work, rather sitting there with a solemn look on his face, his hands having moved to rest on his abdomen whilst he sunk further into the chair. He could hear people talking outside, realising just how long he had been sitting there when glancing behind him, noticing the sky having darkened into the deep navy blue, the stars twinkling in the distance whilst the moon appeared in its crescent shape. The spotlights were on full beam, the light flooding into his office and highlighting everything within, from the lockers to the map Lee had placed back on the wall. It felt larger than normal, and all the more lonely for him.

Glancing at the papers sprawled across his desk, he decided to pass some of the time and organize them again, taking the ones written by each of the survivors and placing them into messy piles. Grabbing a load of reports from Jack, he straightened them out, tapping the bottom of the stack multiple times before placing the pile on the end of his desk, repeating the actions with each stack of paper until all of them sat neatly next to each other. After that, he just sat there in silence, tensing up when someone opened the door suddenly. Staring at it, watching the light flood in from the restaurant on the opposite side of the floor, he noticed the tall shadow stretching across the floor, raising an eyebrow until the person was revealed to be Alicia.

Standing there, he watched as she closed the door, leaving only the light from outside to highlight her figure, her coat unzipped and showing a deep blue shirt underneath. With one hand on the doorknob and the other behind her back, she offered him a silent smile, making her way towards him as she quietly whispered. "I thought you'd like the company. Especially after today."

"It was getting pretty boring in here actually." He agreed, watching her as she sat on his desk, finally letting his curiosity get the better of him as he asked her. "Alright, I'll give. What's that behind your back?"

With a bright smile, she finally moved her hand from behind her back and held it out for Lee to see, amused by his stunned look at what she was hiding from him. A bottle of what looked like rum. After a short laugh, she explained herself. "Gabriel gave it to me for a special occasion, and I thought you looked like you could do with a drink."

"Damn, it looks like good make too." He gasped, taking the bottle and reading over the label with an amused tone. "Earthquake. Never heard of it."

"I've had it a few times, mostly during New Year's parties and such. It's like a spicy liquor, has sugar crystals at the bottom too." She pointed out, pulling the top off with a smirk playing at her lips, taking a gulp of the alcohol before sighing loudly. "Just as good as I remember it. Here."

"You seem to like your alcohol." He noted, taking the bottle and swigging from it, feeling the spicy liquid burn the back of his throat, coughing quietly at how unprepared he was for the burning sensation. Laughing at the funny incident in front of her, Alicia took the bottle back off him, enjoying the rum as he composed himself once more, coughing to rid his throat of the uncomfortable burning.

"You seem like you can't handle it." She shot back, wiping the edge of her mouth when some of the rum spilt out, her face red when she apologized. "Sorry, I get kinda like a slob when I drink."

"It's time to enjoy ourselves. Don't apologize, Alicia." Lee smiled warmly, waiting for her to pass the bottle back as he asked. "Do you ever think about those times? You know, before all this?"

Pausing, she just sat there, bottle in hand, as she appeared thoughtful for a few moments. Lee watched her, wondering if he had overstepped some boundary until she glanced back at him, nodding slowly as she confessed. "All the time. I remember one party, on Christmas Day, where it was just me and my husband with all our family around. We sat down, enjoyed some dinner and watched movies. Kate loved the Grinch, always watching it and begging me to put the DVD on whenever she got home from school, and I always did. It… was a nicer time. Now, I'd give anything just to hear her voice again, for us to just sit there and watch that movie."

"That must have been good times." Lee muttered, recalling Christmas mornings with his own family, laughing quietly as he recalled on Christmas Day. "When I was around fifteen, my mom woke me and my brother up for Christmas, and it was the same thing every year. We saw what we got in our stockings, candy canes and stuff like that, before we opened our presents. I remember that year I wanted to learn how to play an instrument, mostly a guitar to try and impress some of the girls, and my mom instead got me a tuba."

"Wow, you can really woo some ladies with that." Alicia replied humorously, drinking from the bottle slowly.

Lee chuckled at that, continuing his story with a reminiscing expression on his face. "She was an expert on the thing. Thought she'd teach me how to play it, and our Bud decided it'd be hilarious to invite this girl over one day whilst I was practicing. She thought I was a dork and left, but I got revenge on him. I remember sneaking into his room late at night, after one of those nights he spent drinking with his friends, and blew into my tuba real loud. He was so hungover and scared that he fell straight off the bed and smacked his head off the bedside table, had a lump on his forehead for days after."

"Aw, that must have sucked." Alicia replied, appearing genuinely sympathetic for Lee's brother, a smile on her face as she passed the bottle back to him, her smile fading as she asked him. "I want this to be a moment where we forget everything happening out there, but it's pretty hard ignoring what those bandits did. What do you think we'll meet tomorrow?"

"Hopefully, the leaders will be as understanding as Edith and her group. I hope we don't have much trouble on the way there or back, but at least we'll have people with us to defend the truck." He tried to comfort her, though he needed the convincing just as much as Alicia did, his smile falling short and instead a frown pulled his lips down. Unsure, he just sat there, bottle in hand, as she sighed to herself.

"There I go again, bringing the moment down. Sorry about that, it's the booze talking." She excused, watching as Lee placed the bottle on the table. "I think I've had enough for tonight. I can't look after Kate blind drunk."

"Yeah, same here, but I appreciate you bringing it here. It was fun to just sit around and talk, you know?" he smiled. Alicia returned the smile, her face lighting up with joy as she nodded, slowly standing up and grabbing the bottle. Watching her, he quickly added as she made her way back to the door. "If you're up for it, I'm fine with you coming to my office again. It's nice to talk to someone again."

"Anytime, Lee." She agreed, before she pulled the door opened and exited the room, closing it behind her, leaving Lee in the office alone once more. Sitting in his chair, he couldn't stop the smile from tugging at the corners of his mouth, feeling happier after the conversation than he did before. Staring down at the reports stacked neatly on his desk, he decides to call it a night, and stood up to see if he could find something to eat from the restaurant, knowing that Gabriel would most likely sit him down and cook something for the hungry survivor.

The next morning came around, the sun shining from behind the horizon of tall pine trees, the forest grounds casted in shadows and hid all dangers that could be found within. Lee had retired to his office during the night, having fallen asleep in his large office chair, and when Sarah came for him in the mourning, he found himself waking up with his head resting against the cold wooden desk. Everywhere was stiff, his neck aching as he lifted his head up slowly, groaning under his breath whilst he glanced around his office, before spotting Sarah standing by the open door.

She herself looked like she hadn't gotten much sleep last night, with dark bags under her droopy eyes, and a tired frown on her face whilst Buddy stood by her side, his tail wagging slightly when he noticed that Lee had woken up. Remaining silent, the dog glanced up at Sarah as she started speaking, a yawn breaking her speech up. "Alicia and the others are waiting downstairs for you, to go to Wellington."

"Damn. Thanks for waking me up, Sarah." He thanked, rubbing the back of his neck in an attempt to rid himself of the discomfort, rotating his head before he paused, sighing deeply whilst standing up quickly. He didn't want to keep everyone waiting, not when the truck had to leave to reach Wellington on time. Walking towards the young teen, he stared down at her exhausted face, unable to stop the worry from gnawing at him as he asked her. "You sleep alright last night?"

"No, not really. I don't know why it's happening, but I've been getting pretty bad dreams lately." She confessed, shaking her head and quickly deflecting Lee's concerns with an unconvincing excuse. "It's… nothing really. I-I'm fine. You should worry about the trucks, and Wellington."

"If you feel bad, Sarah, talk to me. Alright?" Lee asked, crossing his arms as he waited for her reply.

Glancing at the floor, she didn't lift her gaze for a few seconds, before finally meeting his gaze and nodding softly, her voice tired as she sighed. "Okay…"

"Come on. We can walk down to the loading bay together." He offered, moving past Sarah as she watched him walk away, quickly jogging to keep up with his fast pace. The first floor was quiet, most of the survivors working to keep the community thriving, and all the survivors that Lee could see being guards. None of the children that were playing around his office yesterday were there, and he felt somewhat unnerved with how quiet the community can become. Sarah kept close, staring straight ahead whilst Lee snuck a peek at her, his frown deepening as she refused to meet his gaze. She offered no warm smiles or kinds words, rather yawning slyly to stop him from noticing how tired she actually was. He saw it, but he kept his words to himself in fear that he would make the awkward moment even worse between them.

Buddy just walked slowly behind them, his panting could be heard by both of them as Lee glanced behind him, watching the animal stare up at him with squinted eyes, his tongue flopping out of the side of his mouth. Turning back around, he noticed that they reached the top of the staircase leading down, staring down it before he made his way with Sarah beside him, the young teen moving behind him as she gripped the railing tightly. They both reached the bottom of the staircase quickly, Lee turning on his foot and making his way with haste to the large doors leading to the loading bay, noting the two guards standing watch. Kristina was one of them, a saddened smile on her face as she addressed him. "Morning, Lee. Everyone is waiting inside for you, to set off to Wellington. As much as I wanna be one of them, I gotta sit this one out."

"How come?" he asked, pausing in his walking when he reached the younger woman.

"My leg's been acting up, all painful and shit. Jack thought it'd be better for my health if someone else took my spot, so Al is replacing me as one of your security guards." She explained, noting Lee's fallen expression as she added. "Don't mope. Someone's gotta stay behind to make sure the rest of the advisors are running the place properly. I promise, you'll have a community to return to."

"Thanks, Kristina." He replied sarcastically, before both of them shared a smile. With that, she opened the door, allowing him and Sarah to go through before closing it again, keeping buddy inside the building whilst the other survivors got ready to depart.

Inside the loading bay, he saw Christa and Jack standing to the side, discussing something with Alicia, their voices hushed whispers until she spotted Lee entering the room. Waving softly at him, he returned the gesture, noticing Kate standing close to her mother's legs, the young girl waving as well. Sarah decided to walk over to them, the young girl smiling briefly as the teenager stopped in front of her, allowing Sarah to pick the child up as she talked, Kate just listening and nodding silently. Lee stood there, waiting for the three advisors to finish their conversation, before he watched as they all made their way over to him. Quickly, Christa explained what they were just talking about. "It'll take you around eight hours to reach Wellington by truck, so it'll be after dark by the time you finish the meetings with the leaders. We'll expect your return around tomorrow afternoon."

"Alright, then." He nodded, looking over at Alicia as he asked her. "You ready to head off?"

"One moment." She replied, turning around just as Sarah approached them, Kate in her arms. The young child stared up at her mother as she smiled, listening as Alicia started to explain to her. "Now, honey, I want you to behave for Sarah and the others, alright? Mommy's gonna be gone for the night, so you'll bunk in Sarah's room."

Kissing her child on the forehead, she softly finished her instructions. "I love you. Be good, I'll return tomorrow."

Kate watched in silence as Alicia moved away, her expression shifting from happiness to confusion and fear, her small hand reaching out as she cried softly. Sarah comforted her, whispering words of comfort that seemed to have an effect on Kate, calming the child down enough that Alicia could completely walk away, getting into the van whilst Lee remained. Staring down at Sarah, he gently spoke. "Are you going to be alright here?"

"I'll be fine, I have Kate to keep me company." Sarah replied, sticking her tongue out to make said child laugh. Lee chuckled at the scene, somewhat proud with how much Sarah had grown, and yet his smile disappeared slightly as she softly added. "Be safe. I don't want people to die out there anymore."

"I promise, I'll be home tomorrow." He promised, ruffling her short hair affectionately before glancing up at Christa, nodding silently at her in acknowledgment, waiting for her to nod back before he too made his way over to the truck. Al was in the driver's seat, Alicia sitting in the middle, and both just watched as he opened the door, settling down in the passenger seat nearest the window, staring out of the windshield as the guard started the truck up, the engine roaring to life. The shutters behind them opened slowly, Lee sitting there as he stared at his friends, Christa and Sarah watching him as the truck started backing out of the building slowly, the shutters closing once more when the vehicle was fully out. He kept staring at them until the shutters blocked his vision, and only then did he lean back in his seat.

Slowly, Al drove the van down the path leading to the gate, her voice quiet as she asked them. "What do you think we'll see out there?"

"Hopefully, nothing." Alicia replied, crossing her arms and deeply inhaling as she sighed. "God knows we could use some good luck."

Staring out of the window, Lee watched as the people patrolling the wall passed by, waiting for a few seconds before he replied, his voice low and serious. "We won't know until we reach Wellington. Hopefully, they can help us."


	36. The Northern City

The further Lee and his companions drove up north, the colder he could feel outside the vehicle, the snow outside thicker than any of the snow he seen fallen back in Howe's. The road they drove down showed nothing but open fields on both sides, trees seen in the distance that made up a never ending forest. Beside him, Alicia had already fallen asleep, her head resting against his shoulder as he stared down at her peaceful face, her mouth slightly open as she snored softly. They'd been driving for hours, and he started to feel his legs cramping up from sitting down for so long, looking away from Alicia as he glanced out of the window again. Al said nothing, knowing things were still awkward between her and Lee ever since the rebellion, and so she just kept driving down the snow covered road.

After a few more minutes of silence, Al gave in and finally piped up. "Okay, I'm gonna go crazy with this silence. How long have we even been driving for?"

Glancing down at his watch, Lee noted that it was almost four in the afternoon, raising an eyebrow as he replied. "It's been nearly seven hours. We got another one to go before we reach Wellington."

Groaning in annoyance, she tapped her fingers against the steering wheel, not really holding onto it due to the straight road for miles ahead. She quickly glanced at the speedometer, before she returned her gaze on the road. "My legs are cramping up bad. I can't wait to just get there, see what those guys got set up."

"Edith said they were numbering in the hundred." Lee recalled, turning his head to Al as he added. "Could do Howe's some good learning some of Wellington's skills."

"No wonder they're running out of food, though. You ain't growing shit in this weather." The female guard pointed out, looking off into the distance as the grey clouds covered all the sky, the sun hiding behind them and casting the surroundings in dull colours, the white snow standing out against the dark trees and tarmac. Lee nodded in agreement, the heat from the vehicle's radiator the only thing keeping them from freezing all throughout the journey, the warm air being blown around the small cab.

The guards inside the truck, sitting with the supplies, were likely freezing their asses off, and he jumped slightly when he suddenly heard banging on the wall behind them, a muffled voice cursing before they yelled. "We gotta make a stop now! I need to take a leak!"

"Are you fucking serious?!" Al shot back, forgetting to watch her voice as it woke Alicia up, the latter jolting from her slouched position before glancing around, confusion and a tinge of fear on her face until she realised where she was. Staring at Alicia, the female guard swore quietly. "Shit. Sorry about that, Alicia."

"What's with all the yelling?" she asked, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand whilst yawning.

"I'm about to wet myself, stop the fucking truck!" The voice shouted out. Lee groaned deeply as his hand covered his face, shaking his head as Alicia sat there dumbfounded, an embarrassed look and her reddened cheeks showing how off guard that comment caught her. Blinking a few times, she said nothing as Al let out an exasperated sigh, slowing the vehicle down and moving it to the side of the road.

When the truck stopped, she opened the driver's door, jumping down on the snow covered floor as Lee opened his door, quickly turning to Alicia as he hopped down. "I'm just gonna stretch my legs for a minute. You coming?"

"Nah, I'm fine sitting here." She rejected, sitting there as he nodded, closing the door again before turning around. Moving to the back of the truck, he watched as Al opened the door, the four guards sitting there with the most unappreciated expression Lee had ever seen on someone, Joel standing at the back with an annoyed look as another guard, a younger male with a youthful face and ginger hair, his puffy jacket zipped up to fight against the bitter cold, jumped down.

"Jesus, how long have we gotta wait for you to piss yourself?" Al snapped, looking around with a paranoid expression. "You realise we're sitting ducks because of your tiny bladder, Liam? If we get killed because of you, I'm coming back as a walker and ripping your fucking dick off!"

"Fucking chill, alright!?" he growled, moving away to urinate. "I ain't gonna be long, then we can get moving."

With their friend relieving himself, Joel moved to the edge of the truck and sat down, his gun sitting in his lap as he glanced up at Lee, quickly looking around whilst asking. "You know how much further we got?"

"Another hour. You guys holding up alright?" he questioned, glancing at the crates full of supplies that they pack in the back. One of the guards was sitting on the box of food, a book in her hands whilst her gun was propped against the wall facing her, whilst the others just sat on the floor with bored looks on their faces.

Staring inside the truck, he listened as Joel complained. "Man, my legs are dead. Can't wait to get out of this goddamn truck and see what all the fuss about Wellington is about."

"Well, we ain't going anywhere until Pissy Pants over there is done." Al sighed, crossing her arms as she leaned against the truck, her foot tapping against the snow when she added. "I really don't like this. I hope Liam will hurry up."

"How long does it take to piss?" Joel snapped, looking over to where Liam had wandered off to, spotting the young man with his back to them, his voice loud as he called out. "Liam, goddammit, how long you gonna take?!"

"Jesus Christ, alright, alright! I'm coming back!" he shot back, zipping up his trousers and making his way back over with his gun held in one hand. Lee shook his head, deciding to make his way back to the cab to get ready for the journey again, reaching the door when he heard yelling. Panic quickly set in. Turning his head, he saw that Liam fell over, a walker quickly grabbing hold of his leg and sinking its teeth into his ankle, blood dripping out and staining the white snow a dark red.

His screams of agony rang through the air, Al rushing over as she stove the walker's head in, the head collapsing in from the harsh blow. With the threat taken cared off, she kneeled down beside him, her face fallen in shock as Lee ran over to them. Fishing the pistol out of his jacket, he aimed it, looking around them to see if there was any danger around them. Unable to see anything, despite the thick trees, he lowered his weapon, heart beating fast as he then turned around, looking down at the injured Liam as he laid there, Al by his side as she glanced up at their leader.

Clutching his leg, he could only whimper in pain as she looked at his bite wound, Lee sparing a glance at it whilst wincing. The walker had torn completely through his pants, tearing fabric that was stained with his blood, the skin underneath chewed to shit with muscles torn to shreds, his achilles heel severed deeply and causing blood to gush out. Al froze at the sight, unable to do anything to save him as, whilst shaking her head, she cursed loudly. "Fuck, what the shit happened?!"

"The fucking thing was hidden under the snow! I didn't know until I literally stepped on it!" Liam cried out, grunting as he stared down at the bite wound. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

"Just stay still," Lee started, kneeling down to get a better look at the bite wound with a disgusted expression. Trying to move the fabric to get a better look at the damage, he accidentally hurt Liam, the guard yelping in pain as he tried to pull his leg away. Flinching at the movement, Lee quickly swore. "Shit! I'm sorry, I didn't mean that!"

"Fucking, shit!" he grunted, gritting his teeth in a desperate attempt to control the pain.

"Fucking hell! We ain't got anything to cut it off, or bandages to wrap the wound up!" Al revealed, unsure what to do as Lee stared down at Liam's face, seeing the fear and pain clear in his eyes. The sounds of his screaming didn't go unnoticed, as walkers appeared in the distance, moving slowly due to the cold of the north. Al was right, if they would take him, his wound would only cause Liam to bleed out, putting the rest of them in danger when he turned.

"You can't leave me here!" he begged, looking up in the direction Lee was staring in, noticing the walkers making their way to them as he yelled desperately. "Oh god, you can't let them get me!"

Staring down at him, Al appeared thoughtful, before she closed her eyes, taking a moment to calm herself down before standing up, aiming her rifle at him as she apologized. "I'm sorry… We can't do anything for you."

"Please, I'm begging you-!" She fired, ignoring his pleas as the bullet shot through his forehead, his body freezing from the impact before collapsing to the ground. Lee flinched at the loud sound, staring at Liam's corpse with a saddened look, feeling somewhat nauseated from the sight of his glassy eyes staring up at the sky, frozen in fear. The walkers gave them no time to grieve, or to take his body, as they closed the distance between them and the remaining survivors. He saw the corpses coming closer, pulling Al with him as she still stared at the body.

"We gotta go!" he yelled, pulling her away as he turned away, waving at Joel as he stood near the truck, his voice echoing as he screamed at him. "Get the door closed, _now!_ "

He obeyed his orders, jumping back into the truck and shutting the door, protecting him and the other guards from the undead. Moving backwards, Lee watched in panic as some of the walkers came closer, growling as he tried to get Al to run for it, the latter just standing there as she stared at the body. Quickly, he shook her, glancing nervously at the walkers as he tried to get through to her. "Al, we gotta go, now! We can't stay here!"

With saddened eyes, she sniffed, staring up at Lee as she replied. "Liam, he's-"

"He's gone! We can't do anything to bring him back, and if we stay here, we will die! Now, move!" he interrupted, practically dragging her to truck and leaving Liam's body behind. The walkers were too close, some distracted with the body whilst others stumbled after the retreating survivors. Rushing back to the truck, Lee jumped in the passenger's side, slamming the door shut whilst Al got in through the driver's door, shutting the door behind her as she started speeding down the road, leaving the walkers behind them.

Sitting there, they both spared each other a look, whilst Alicia glanced around, her voice worried as she asked them. "What happened!? I heard screaming."

Al didn't reply, instead staring down at the steering wheel with an emotional expression, whilst Lee just stared out of the window. Arms crossed, he sighed deeply, and finally explained what happened to her. "One of the boys didn't see a walker under the snow, and accidentally stepped on it. The thing… tore completely through his ankle. There was nothing we could do."

"What? He was out there for five minutes! How could it have happened that quickly?!" she gasped, shocked to find out what happened. Al was silent, just staring ahead with a solemn look on her face, both Alicia and Lee staring at her with concerned expressions before the former called out to her. "Al? I'm sorry you were out there when it happened."

"I had to put him down. There was no way around it." She muttered, sounding like she was convincing herself rather than the others, and continued as Lee watched on. "Liam was a little shit, got on my nerves all the time, but he was just a boy. Fucking hell, he was younger than Alex was."

"There was nothing else you could have done. He didn't want to be eaten by those things… you made the right call." Lee tried to comfort her. His words seemed to have some effect, as she nodded with a sad smile, before it fell into a frown once more and she looked away, continuing to drive in silence. Lee and Alicia said no more, unable to bring her out of her glumness. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms whilst staring out of the window. The rest of the journey would be a long one.

After an hour had passed, he noticed a large wall in the distance, the giant structure spanning for miles in both directions and covering everything within the community. It was impressive, something that the three survivors gawked at as they drove closer, Lee sitting forward as he noticed a large gate blocking entry into the huge city, a small box sitting on top that allowed the guards keeping watch to see far into the distance for any danger. Alicia stared at it with a surprised expression, turning to Lee as she muttered. "That would keep any walkers out."

"How long do you reckon that took to build?" he replied, still staring at the wall as Al slowed the truck down, opening the door when they came to a complete stop. Jumping down, he stared up at the box, noting one of the guards staring down at him with a wary expression, whilst the other was someone he recognized immediately.

With a smile, he called up to them. "Edith! It's been a while!"

"Holy shit, Lee? What're you doing here?" she asked, moving closer to the railing along the open box above the gate, staring down at him before looking over at the truck, her face falling into a confused expression. "That ain't our truck. Where's our people? They were meant to be back yesterday!"

"There's been a problem, we need you to let us in!" he replied loudly, watching as Edith moved backwards, away from the railing. Standing there, watching as she talked quietly to the guard beside her, Lee was silent as he saw her nodding before she disappeared from view, turning around to shrug his shoulders at Alicia, the woman sitting in the truck with a worried expression. Quickly, he heard something creaking behind him, turning back around to see the doors leading into the community opening, Edith standing there with a gun in hand. Moving to the side, she gestured for the truck to drive through, the vehicle slowly passing Lee as he walked over to Edith.

She just stood there, watching the truck drive by before turning to Lee, her voice quiet as she asked him. "What's gone on? You look like shit's about to go down."

"We need to talk to your leaders, Edith. We have big problems." He muttered, noting her unsure expression and interrupted her before she could say anything, his voice low and sharp as he grumbled. "I'm not discussing it here, not when people can hear and panic. You have to trust me."

"Alright… Alright, I'll take you to the headquarters." With that, she motioned for him to follow her, the duo making their way over to the stopped truck. Al was already out, conversing with Sam as he joked about something, a quiet laugh coming from the female survivor as she appeared genuinely happy for the distraction. Alicia just watched from the back, having opened the back door to let Joel and the other guards out, all of them standing as Lee and Edith approached them.

Noticing them, Alicia walked over slowly, a soft smile on her face as she complemented the community. "It's such a lovely place here. How do you guys keep it going?"

"We're pretty strict with all the rationing and bringing people in, we've had to turn some folks away these past few months because of all the shortages we're going through. When spring comes, we can start using the fields again without worrying about the frost killing all the crops." Edith explained, turning to Sam and Al as she ordered her brother. "Sam, take the truck and the guards to storage, I'll take Lee and Alicia to headquarters for talks."

"Alright, come on. I can show you how lovely Wellington is when you move past all the dead things walking about." He joked to Al, unnoticing of her flinch as her expression fell, the memories of what happened just before fresh in her mind. Sam appeared to have unnoticed her change in expression, rather hoping into the truck with her as he held his head out the window, quickly addressing his sister. "Don't be too long. We're swapping posts at nightfall."

"I won't. Go on, we need those supplies secured." She sent off, watching as he pulled his body back into the truck and slowly drove down the road. Standing there with her and Alicia, he looked around the community, noticing the widely spaced houses and land. The long road ahead had trees on both sides, some driveways branching off the main road and leading to the homes. It appeared that people lived there, a couple sitting on the porch whilst their children played in the snow, enjoying the scene as they threw snowballs at each other.

The grown up watched Lee and Alicia however, unsure what to make of the newcomers. Lee watched them as well, listening as Edith explained quietly. "You gotta forgive them, we've had problems with people these past few weeks."

"There's problems here? What sort of problems?" he asked, somewhat worried about the safety of their allies.

Edith appeared wary, unable to answer his question as she brushed off. "That's something I can't disclose. Don't worry, we've handled it."

"Where's this headquarters then?" Alicia asked, eager to get the meetings underway as she added. "We've been driving for hours. I could really do with getting these talks over with and rest up."

"Oh, just this way. The headquarters are in the center of town." She replied, guiding Lee and Alicia down the shovelled road. No snow was on the tarmac, looking like the people of Wellington kept the main road clear of anything to allow the trucks to drive through without incident, though there was still plenty of snow for the children to play with. One of them laughed loudly, throwing the snowball at her friend, but she missed her target and nearly caught Lee, the older man dodging the projectile and looking over at the child with a stunned expression.

Realising what she did, she stared at him with wide eyes, before her friends giggled and dragged her away, running to avoid being told off by Edith or their parents. The adults shook their head at the scene, turning to Lee with a sheepish look whilst he just brushed it off. Alicia was amused by the incident, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow, laughing softly when he shook his head and kept walking. Edith stood in front of them, smiling at some of the survivors when they greeted her. Unable to stay for a chat, the trio kept moving, the female guard piping up. "We've kept the houses in the suburbs to house people in, but we're finding it hard to provide shelter for all the people living here. Some have had to stay in the school, the nursing home, even the abandoned shops."

"Damn, I'm sorry to hear that." Lee frowned, pausing for a few moments before he added. "How are things going on with you and the others? It's been awhile since we've last talked."

"Sam's been the same. He won a packet of cigarettes gambling the other night, until it turned out he was counting the cards. He had to be put in jail for the night because of complaints." She mused, noticing Lee's and Alicia's surprised expressions. "He didn't take the caution. It was his own fault, I told him to stop counting the cards."

"Okay, besides Sam's gambling addictions, what else has been going on?" Lee joked, finding it somewhat funny that her brother got caught and thrown in jail over counting cards. During these times, he could think of far worse crimes, but knowing the male survivor like Lee did, he couldn't put it past Sam.

"Huan and I are going strong. We had a day off for a dinner together, it was pretty romantic." She revealed, slowing down so Alicia was by her as she confided in the other woman, her voice quieted so that no one could overhear them. "We had such a lovely night, you know."

"From that tone, I would imagine." Alicia shot back, a smirk on her face as she asked her. "You know any dirty words in mandarin?"

"All of them." Lee coughed loudly, feeling awkward with the two women talking about sex just a foot away from him. Edith decided to leave the conversation at that, walking back in front of the two newcomers as she added quickly, clearing her throat. "We're almost there."

She was right. The open spaces and the largely spaced houses grew less and less as they walked, the group finding themselves standing on a large junction. Without cars crossing all the time, it was packed with people instead, survivors getting to their homes or places where they worked, some pushing crates on trolleys that were full of supplies, likely taking them to the storage in the center of town. Lee watched the busy scene, finding himself somewhat overwhelmed with the amount of activity going on around him. He had not seen this many people living together since before the plague.

Crossing the junction, he glanced up into the distance, spotting a tall tower sticking out from behind the busy shops around them, the houses becoming closer to each other with less land for each home. Trees continued to line the road, before they slowly disappeared as the road widened, another junction reaching the group as they paused, Edith turning left as she muttered to them. "This way, we ain't far."

Following after her, Lee stared up at the building to their left with awe. It was a beautifully structured building, with two points on the roof sticking up as spikes and a part built up to hold a large bell, the bell no longer in use to avoid bringing the dead from miles around. Some people were sitting in front, near a monument and a long pole, the american flag flying in the cold winds. Standing in front of it, he listened as Edith explained. "This was the Memorial Library, but we made it into headquarters when we first started the community here."

"We should go in, then." Alicia suggested, making her way along the path with Edith beside her. Lee paused, staring up at the library as the sun started falling down behind it, casting the path and grassy areas in front in shadows. After standing there for a few moments, he finally started making his way after them, eager to get out of the dropping temperature and harsh winds.

Inside, the tall shelves spanned along the entire length of the building, rows upon rows full of books. People sat on the chairs, reading quietly to themselves, whilst a elderly woman sat at the desk near the entrance. Thick, curly grey hair sprung from their head similar to how Clementine used to wear her hair, something that jumped out to Lee immediately as he, alongside Edith and Alicia, approached her. Brown eyes set behind thick reading glasses, the old woman glanced up when Edith cleared her throat, a soft smile on her face as the younger survivor whispered. "I'm here with Lee and Alicia, they're from the community down south. Where's Elijah and the others?"

"They're talking about something upstairs, in their office." The woman replied, looking over at Lee and Alicia as she welcomed them. "I hope you enjoy your visit here, dears."

"Thank you, ma'am." Alicia replied gratefully, her and Lee following after Edith as she motioned for the two visitors to follow her. Walking towards stairs that led to the first floor,

"This place is so beautiful." Alicia awed, looking around as the trio walked up the stairs quickly, glancing over at Lee as she asked him. "I would've thought this place would have been trashed in the chaos."

"Actually, a small group had barricaded themselves in this library for the first few days this happened. The walls weren't erected for a good month, and we were still dealing with dead people until the walls kept everything out." Edith explained, reaching the top of the stairs as she paused, waiting for the other two survivors to reach her as she added. "I enjoy the times I have off to come here and just read. It helps with ignoring what's happening outside our walls, though Helsa at the front desk is strict with how quiet you gotta be."

Reaching the top of the staircase, Lee glanced around, slowly returning his gaze to Edith as she coughed. "Anyway, we should get you two to the office. Marissa doesn't like to be kept waiting on important businesses."

"Oh, I remember Marissa." Alicia replied, taking a short awkward pause as she agreed. "Yeah, maybe we shouldn't keep her waiting."

Lee nodded at that, following after Edith as she shown the two visitors the way to the office on the other side of the floor. All around them, people were reading and talking to each other, using the library as a place to chill and talk about their days, likely helping the people living in Wellington to forget all about the troubles lurking outside their walls. Recalling the meeting a few weeks back, Lee remembered Marissa, and he was pretty sure that the others working as his advisors remembered her too. Although she is very capable and independent, being passionate about saving her people, her temper was not one of her strong points, and he could remember Elijah having to keep her out of some meetings because of her falling outs with Christa.

Hopefully, she would be calmer in her own community, but he could only wish it so.

They reached the door leading to the office, the group quiet as they stood there, Lee able to hear voices muttering from behind, whilst Edith slowly reached for the handle. Opening the door, she stood there, gesturing for Lee and Alicia to enter without her. Doing so, Alicia walked in first, nodding to the leaders standing around a circular table whereas Lee moved to follow her, only being stopped by Edith as she muttered to him. "I'll be out here."

Nodding, he walked in. The office wasn't really an office, more like a staff room for the people who worked there before, the large circular table low standing and chairs situated around it, the leaders sitting down. The whole scene was almost informal, more like friends talking amongst each other rather than people discussing the future of their community. Marissa, sitting in her chair with her arms crossed and her leg resting on her knee, was the first to look up at Lee, piercing brown eyes and shortly chopped black hair.

"It's been awhile, Lee." She started, uncrossing her arms as she straightened herself up, sitting in the chair with her hands on her knees. "We got word just shortly before that you arrived at our walls, without our truck."

"Yeah, I'm afraid I got bad news." Lee sighed, taking a seat between Alicia and Marissa.

The black man sitting beside her, ran his hand over his bald head, before it moved down the side of his face and rested underneath his chin, his slight stubble neatly shaved and his mouth pulled in a frown. He was the only one not wearing a coat, rather settling on wearing black hoodie, his boots resting on the table before he took them off, sitting up properly to start the meeting. Lee quickly recognised him as Carter, listening as he asked Lee. "What's happened? We really can't deal with more bad news at the moment."

"The truck never came to Howe's. I went out to find it with my people, but… it was too late. The truck got ran off the road and everyone inside was slaughtered." He explained, watching as Marissa stood up, walking over to the window looking over the streets of Wellington. "There was nothing we could do to save them."

"My daughter was on that trip, is she….?" Elijah asked, pausing as he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. With slicked back grey hair and facial hair that matched, Elijah just sat there with his buttoned up coat, a sweater covering his neck to help protect against the cold. Lee turned to the older man, a saddened expression on his face as he shook his head, watching as Elijah frowned. "My Rinna..."

"What did it? Do you know?!" Marissa asked, turning around to stare at Lee with an angered expression.

"We suspect bandits were responsible. I'm sorry, Marissa, I wish we had more for you guys to know." Alicia apologized. The enraged survivor cooled down, showing an upset look on her face as she looked away.

"They were good people. Those supplies, we haven't got any spare to be wasted on those fucking lowlifes!" she hissed.

"Elijah, I'm sorry about Rinna." The young woman beside Elijah spoke up, brushing one of her dreadlocks from in front of her face as she turned to Lee, smiling softly as she brightly thanked him. "Thanks, for going out to find them. It's good knowing what happened, but what are we gonna do with these bandits?"

"We can't keep using those roads. They're likely set up along it, and'll take any vehicle they see coming down it." Carter pointed out, looking around the group as he added. "Problem is, that's more ground to cover. It'll take longer."

"The main roads cut straight through Virginia, that's where the truck was ran off. If we go around the state, it'll take too long, and we ain't got the gas to make up for the extra distance." Lee frowned.

Elijah nodded at that, and quickly spoke his mind. "Our community is running out of supplies fast, the extra time might mean we run out before the supplies get here. What if we desperately need something from Howe's? Or vice-versa?"

"We should find out more about these bandits. Their location, their goals, anything! With that, we can destroy the fuckers before they can hurt more of our people." Marissa snapped, leaning against the windowsill as she frowned, her voice quiet to stop others from overhearing outside. "How did they even come across the truck? Elijah, what if…?"

"No, we are not thinking that. What we did, we did for the good of Wellington." The older man rejected, not meeting Lee or Alicia's gazes before they glanced at each other.

"What is this about?" Alicia finally asked, looking away from Lee as she stared at Elijah and Marissa, noticing Sash rubbing her neck nervously.

"Guys, we should tell them. They're our allies, after all." She insisted. Carter nodded in agreement, glancing over at Elijah and Marissa as the other two leaders thought about it, leaving Lee to sit there with a distrustful expression on his face. Their secrecy wasn't helping his nerves, and they only got worse as Elijah sighed deeply, looking up at Howe's leader as he finally confessed.

"You have to understand, Lee, we can't abide people breaking the rules here. With supplies running low this winter, we've had problems with people stealing from the storage to help their loved ones, food, medicine, anything. Those that were caught had to be punished, so we came to an agreement to exile all those that break Wellington's rules." Lee sat there, staring at Elijah with a surprised expression.

"We suspect that those people might be in the ranks with the bandits. Marissa's scouts gave in reports about the increasing numbers of bandits in West Virginia, settling down in Charleston. That's a big problem for us." Carter explained, turning to Marissa as he asked her. "Has any of your scouts found out more information?"

"No. Those that made it back had nothing new, only that they were growing in numbers." She frowned, finally moving away from the window, rather going over to a file cabinet and open the drawer, pulling something out and returning to the table. Quickly, she threw what turned out to be a map on the table, spreading it out and pointing at where they were, quickly explaining to them. "Because of the large distance between us and Howe's, and the highways being fucked, we gotta make sure we keep away from Charleston. Those fuckers will steal everything from our community until we all starve, but I ain't gonna let those assholes get the chance. I'll send my scouts out tomorrow to scope other routes we know, see what's what."

"It wouldn't hurt for more people to go with the trucks. More security would mean that they can't be as overwhelmed, especially if the bandits are spread more thinly over the terrain." Sasha pointed out, quickly adding as she looked over at Carter. "Do you think you can spare the extra guards?"

"We're gonna have to. My guards know what needs to be done for the good of the community, it's how I trained them." He replied.

"If gas is an issue, we still have the horses at Howe's. They're able to go places that trucks can't." Alicia pointed out, turning to Marissa as she offered. "Your scouts could scope out more if they use horses. They're more discreet than a truck."

"That's not a bad idea. It'll be safer for my scouts than on foot or in the truck, especially if that's what the bandits are looking for." Marissa nodded, looking over at Sasha as she asked. "You're gonna need to work over the food reports to spare some for the animals. With the stuff coming from Howe's, we can do this if we're careful."

"I ain't one for being a downer, but ain't we scraping by for our people?" Carter asked, frowning deeply as he sighed in annoyance. "These bandits really ain't making things easy."

"Nothing's easy anymore, Carter, get used to it. We just gotta do what we gotta do to survive, that's it." Marissa scowled.

Sasha knotted her fingers together, glancing up at the annoyed female survivor with a nervous cough. "Maybe, if we weren't so harsh, then those people wouldn't have ran for the bandits?"

"Those people made a choice and they have to live with the consequences, we have to have rules." Marissa shot back, glancing around at everyone as they stared up at her, eyes narrowed as she continued. "I was not the only one who decided to exile them, that was all of us! Now, you guys are acting like I wanted this! Like I kicked them out for laughs!"

"Settle down, Marissa." Elijah scolded, standing up to place a hand on her shoulder, her thin jacket unzipped and showing her tank top underneath.

"Look, I ain't here to listen to you guys bickering, I just wanna know that my community is safe without people, who have grudges against you, coming after us!" Lee snapped.

"Lee." Alicia scolded, staring at him with a deep frown before turning to the other leaders. "Look, we want this alliance, in fact Howe's is fucked if we break it off, but we have to sort this problem out before it hurts people we love."

"Don't worry, we want this sorted out as well. You're not the only ones trying to protect the people you love." Elijah replied calmly, glancing outside at the darkened sky, the street lights not working and rather the guards on night duty using flashlights to find their way through the dark. Inhaling deeply, he turned back to the visitors, gesturing to the door as he offered. "It's getting late. You and your people are more than welcome to stay here for the night and leave in the morning, especially with all the dangers of travelling at night."

"That's very generous of you, Elijah." Alicia smiled, standing up slowly with a slight nod. Lee stood up as well, stretching out with a deep groan whilst the oldest leader chuckled.

"It's no problem at all. Edith will show you where you can spend the night." He finished, saying no more as Lee opened the door, showing Edith standing there with her gun resting in her hands. Waving back to the leaders, Lee and Alicia exited the room, the latter closing the door behind her to give Wellington's leaders some privacy to talk amongst themselves.

Quickly, Edith moved closer, a worried look on her face as she asked them. "So, how did it go?"

"They ain't happy, but Marissa is looking at new routes away from a settlement that bandits have made in West Virginia. It also came to our attention that people were kicked out of Wellington for stealing." The mention of the exiles caused Edith to frown deeply, her gaze falling to the floor whilst Lee stared at her, his voice concerned as he asked her. "Edith? Is something wrong?"

"I… I knew about all the exiles, people were desperate through this winter. I can't deny that I thought about it myself. Sam… he won't say it, but he's scared. We all are." She explained, her voice dropping as she revealed. "Lee… That's not the only reason that people are running to the settlement."

"What do you mean?" he asked. Edith didn't reply, rather staring at the door leading to the office before gesturing for the two to follow her, Lee and Alicia glancing nervously at each other before they obeyed, walking behind Edith as they made their way to the stairs leading downstairs. The group was silent, Lee staring at Edith's back with a deep frown, feeling worry gnaw at his stomach. Remaining quiet, he kept that way until they exited the library, leaving the building behind them until he finally spoke up again. "Edith, what's going on?"

She paused, her head slightly bowed as she thought about what to say, her back to Lee and Alicia whilst they waited for a response. Slowly, she turned to them, coming closer whilst keeping her voice low, glancing around to make sure people couldn't overhear them. "It isn't just exiles that went to Charleston. Over the months, we've had people coming up here begging for safety, and we took them in. Eventually though, we couldn't take anymore, not without the last of the supplies being used up. So, the leaders made a decision."

"What did they do?" Alicia asked, moving closer to Edith as the latter sadly stared at them.

"Carter gave the order to all guards on the gate to turn people away. I've had to send families, children, back into the cold for the walkers and to starve." She muttered, looking away as she continued. "Carter told me that it's for the good of the community. We need to do it to survive, but what's the point of surviving if this is what we have to do?"

"I'm sorry you had to do this." Lee sighed, spotting a pair of guards walking down the road with flashlights, glancing at the group before they continued along their patrol route down the road. Edith just shook her head, ignoring Lee's sympathy as she instead changed the subject. "Come on, Sam likely brought your friends to the church down the road."

"We're sleeping in a church?" Lee asked, staring at Edith as the group slowly started walking down the road.

"We ain't got much space. All the houses are used by the people that live here, and the church isn't that bad." She replied, staring straight ahead. Lee shrugged his shoulders at that, remaining silent as the group walked down the street, the church tower easily spotted against the pale moon behind it, stars twinkling far in the distance. The building towered over them, casting everything below in its shadow, and the cold winter winds blew harsher than they did during the day, causing Lee to shiver quietly to himself. Alicia had her jacket zipped up, stuffing her hands in her pocket as she walked close to her friend, both of them keeping each other warm.

"I can't wait for summer to come. I'm done with feeling this cold." She sighed, staring up at the church as she muttered to Lee. "It isn't gonna much better inside there, that's for sure. People didn't think of others living in there when they first built it, huh?"

"You got that right." Lee agreed. Standing by the closed gate, Edith paused, staring up the path that led to the large double doors leading into the church, before opening the gate. Leading them upwards, he stared up at the stained glass windows, taken away with the beauty of the church as he continued to walk up the path, the snow crunching under his shoes. Opening the doors, they creaked loudly, before Edith gestured for them to enter the church with a nod of her head. Obeying, they entered the old building, the door shutting behind them as Lee looked around.

Candle were lit in rows on both sides of the church's front segment, the arches leading into the main part with the ceiling built high above, the moonlight shining through the stained windows. People were sleeping on the pews in sleeping bags, Lee spotting Joel and the other guards huddling together in a row, keeping close to each other for security whilst they slept. Pausing, he turned to Alicia, noticing her staring at the architecture with an amazed look, her mouth slightly open as she was taken aback by its beauty. Edith stopped walking, turning to the others as she pointed near the altar, her voice quiet to avoid disturbing the others. "There's some sleeping bags by the altar that you guys can use. I'm gonna leave now, I have some things to do before I can go to bed. I'll see you both in the morning."

"Alright. Thank you, Edith." Lee nodded, watching as Edith returned the gesture and walked past them, returning to the door as she exited the church. Left with only each other, they just stared at each other, Alicia smiling softly before she made her way over to the altar with Lee quickly following her. The altar was bare, nothing left besides rolled sleeping bags by its side. Picking one up, Alicia moved to the first row of pews at the front, unrolling her sleeping bag to place it down on the hard, wooden seat.

"I'm glad that the leaders came clean about the exiles, but I'm worried, Lee." She confessed, turning around to Lee as he approached her, sleeping bag in hand, as she continued. "What if the bandits start going after our trucks? What if our people get hurt in this fight?"

"I know, I'm worried too. We get back to Howe's and we hash it out with Christa and Jack, see what our options are. Until then, we should get some sleep." He suggested, rolling his sleeping bag onto the floor. Removing his shoes, he laid them beside him, before he settled down in the sleeping bag, removing his jacket to use as a pillow. Once comfortable, he just laid there, staring at the ceiling.

"Alright, that sounds like a good plan. Goodnight, Lee." Alicia yawned, closing her eyes and softly drifting off to sleep. Lee just laid there, feeling the cold on his face, and sighed deeply, careful not to wake Alicia or anyone else in the church up. Exhaustion hit him suddenly, once his body had slowly gotten comfortable, and he could feel his eyes closing, unwilling to fight and letting himself fall to sleep.

His nightmares returned. He couldn't understand what was happening, but screaming was loud in his ears, along with fire and gunshots, the feeling of something cold under his feet, almost like snow. Flashes happened before his eyes, Howe's destroyed, the gates smashed with the vehicle plowing straight into the wall of the once used mall, people rushing out and fleeing into the forests to avoid the gunfire and death. He could see himself, rushing to the carnage too late, Alicia and the others in tow as she collapsed to the floor. Her screams of grief, her daughter's name being called out as they searched the wreck, it all seemed so real to Lee.

Sarah couldn't be found. Omid, Christa, Nick, no one. Lee was all alone, left with a ruined community and a mourning mother, Joel sitting in front of his sister's corpse, the blood split staining the once pure white snow. When Lee woke up in the morning, he sat upright, sweat dripping down his face and his breathing heavy, and all the worries came flooding back.


	37. Answers To Our Problems

Lee was woken the next morning with hands gently rousing him from his slumber. His eyes opened slowly, a yawn growing in his throat, he found he had slept on his back all night, staring up at the ceiling high above, he could see Alicia off in the corner of his vision, she had a soft smile on her glowing face. The sun beaming through the coloured window bounced off her thick hair, the ends circling on her shoulders as her brown eyes stared down at him, Lee found himself staring back at them through the thick haze of sleepiness, before he just rubbed his eyes as he sat up, groaning slightly.

Quietly, he listened as she explained. "Sorry about this, Lee, but it's morning. We should pack our things and get ready to leave for home."

He brought up his wrist to in front of his face, eyes unfocused as he pulled the sleeve back to show his watch, seeing that it was eight in the morning. With a low groan, he slowly rubbed his back, it clicking uncomfortably as he stretched, words rumbling deep in his throat. "Damn. I never thought I'd miss slipping in my office chair."

"If this was too much for you, there was some spaces on the pews." Alicia pointed out, looking around at the empty spaces around them, not even looking at Lee as she quickly added. "The others have gone to pack the truck with supplies. The leaders are gonna come around to say goodbye, and then it's off for home."

"We better get ready then." He replied, slipping out of the sleeping bag quickly. Once out, he rolled the bag up quickly, gripping on the fabric as he carried it back over to the altar, staring at the bare altar before leaving the sleeping bag beside it. Standing there, he glanced up at the cross hanging up above, staring at the frozen face of Jesus as he hung on the well known cross, his thoughts going back years, back to when his mother would take him to church every sunday. He remembered those days well. With a deep frown, he realised that he hadn't visited that church for a good few years, not since he got that teaching job in Atlanta.

Softly, he heard Alicia's voice call out. "Hey… I was wondering if you'd go on ahead? I just need some time here."

"Is everything alright?" Lee asked, turning around at her with a concerned expression.

She just stood there, staring at the altar with crossed arms and a thoughtful look on her face, eyes burrowing deep into the old stonework before she glanced up at Lee, a small smile on her face as she nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just… I know we have the memorial and all that back home, but being here, in an actual church, I have a chance to say a proper farewell to my friends. To everyone we've lost."

"Ah, I understand." Lee replied, a grim frown pulling at his lips as he just glanced over to the double doors, noticing hardly anyone remaining in the old building. He thought about it, and slowly, he walked over to Alicia, placing a hand on her shoulder, only to feel the muscles under his scarred palm and frown deeply. Seeing the fear flash in her eyes, before she managed to get it under control, Lee wouldn't lie, but it hurt him knowing that she was still scarred by what Carver did to her. He wanted to help her, but the problem was that he didn't know how.

"I'll just, erm… I'll go find the others, give you some space. Just come to the front gate when you're done, alright?" he offered.

Nodding, she offered him a grateful smile, her eyes sparkling with happiness before she made her way over to the altar. Lee knew that she needed space, and started making his way down the aisle towards the front door. He didn't spare even a glance back before he exited. Once outside, he felt the morning sun on his face, his eyes closing painfully as they adjusted to the light, his hand rising to provide shade. Snow that had been walked on laid over the path leading to the gate, footprints clearly visible in the dirtied layer of snow, and Lee's footprints were added when he walked down the path.

Breathing in the fresh morning air, he sighed deeply, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere around him, the sound of birdsong and people walking by, chatting nonchalantly to each other as if the world hadn't gone to shit. It was almost like back at Howe's, save for the space and open spaces. Lee actually felt slightly jealous of all the benefits the people of Wellington got, wondering if this was the life Sarah would have enjoyed if she did go with Edith and her group. The wind blew through the occupied streets, nothing more than a gentle breeze compared to the blizzard winds Lee was used to. Hopefully, the winter months would be over soon, and they'd be able to get more done in the warmer climate.

Reaching the gate, he pushed it open, ignoring the squeaky noise coming from it as he left the church behind, walking down the street by himself. The street lamps, unused for the long months that had passed by, just decorated the sides of the road, some stumps left behind from where a few of the street lamps had collapsed and been cleared away. Passing on, he gave it a quick glance before carrying on. Instead, he focused on a large oak tree, a bird's nest clear in its bare branches, the adults sitting in the safety of their nest high above whilst they waited for winter to pass, finding an adequate food source from the survivors to reject the migrate down south like so many others. The sounds of their song echoed through the air, and grew quieter the further down the road Lee walked.

Just like last night, the streets were busy with survivors going on to do their daily tasks, some driving a pickup truck full of hardware supplies; sheets of metal, wooden planks, along with all the tools necessary for build and repair. Watching as they drove slowly past, Lee smiled softly, carrying on down the road to the imposing walls in the distance, knowing that his people would be waiting there for him and Alicia to arrive. Soon, the walls separating Wellington from the outside world towered over him, casting all ground running along it in shadows. The slight heat of the sun had died once he reached the shadows, instead his skin reacting to the cold with goosebumps running all over his arms.

Rubbing his hands together in a vain attempt to rid himself of the frost, he noticed the familiar truck sitting just a few meters away from the closed gate. Edith and Sam were already there, the former talking quietly with Joel and that, where as her brother had taken to conversing with Al, the female guard laughing at some joke that he likely told. Seeing her happy, it warmed Lee's heart, and his face showed it when he approached them, Sam turning to the leader and grinning. "Well, someone's had a good night sleep from the look on your face."

"Yeah, you could say that." Lee shot right back, a joking tone to his voice as he crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised as he pressed further. "So, what you two talking about?"

"You know, things." Al replied, a smile playing at her lips as she looked away, Lee's eyebrow rising higher when he noticed the dark colouring over her cheeks.

Nodding his head, he chuckled deeply. "Uh-huh, things. Anyone wanna fill me in on what those things are?"

"Well, when you got a lovely woman coming to my community, it's basic manners to show her around." Sam started, crossing his arms in a mimicry of what Lee was doing. "It's a shame that you have to go back to Howe's. I was beginning to enjoy your company around here."

"You've known me for a day," Al shot back, brushing a lock of her hair back absentmindedly as she added. "I think you can survive until I come back again."

"Hey, a day is a lifetime in this world. You never know what happens, so why not make the most of it?" Sam's voice dropped to a sultry tone, but Al's face just fell with those words, Lee knowing the events that happened the other day still cutting her deep. Lee stared at her with sympathy in his eyes, though Sam didn't realise the effect his words had on the female survivor until she started walking away, her voice stern and professional.

"We should get the truck ready. Howe's needs us back with them. When you're ready, Lee." With that, she hopped up into the driver's side of the truck, closing the door behind her whilst Sam just stood there, a dumbfounded look on his face as he turned around to Lee.

"Was it something I said?" he asked, receiving only a shaking of Lee's head. Despite the awkwardness of the scene between the two without Al, Edith walking over caused Lee to sigh in relief silently. Calmness was all that could be seen in her face, being back home with food and supplies bringing the woman's spirit up, and although her brother just stared and shrugged when she expressed confusion over what just happened, she didn't let it get in the way of what needed to be said before Lee left for Howe's.

With a gentle smile, she turned to stare at the crates sitting in the back of vehicle, one of the guards that came with Lee reading the same book she was reading yesterday, a pair of sunglasses on her face, hiding her eyes from their view. Whilst he stared at the imprint of Wellington's name on the crates, he listened as she started talking. "Marissa worked hard last night, trying to figure out alternate routes for us to take. She made this. Told me to give it to you before you guys head out."

She pulled out a roll of paper from her jacket pocket, passing it over to Lee as he slowly unrolled it, noticing that it was a drawn map, the detail amazing given the lack of time Marissa had to do it all. Lines coloured red flowed through the paper, detailing routes that they could take rather than the highway. Staring at it, Edith quickly added. "On the back are times that the Wellington trucks will leave for pick ups. She's decided to meet Howe's people halfway, if only to reduce the distance we both would have to travel. Plus, safety in numbers, isn't it?"

"That's pretty smart. We should reach Howe's before nightfall tonight, and the next stop isn't until next week." Lee pointed out, reading the times and dates on the back of the map. He had to admit, he was fairly impressed with the detail that Marissa went to making this, and he carefully rolled it back up, sticking it in his jacket pocket as he turned to Edith, nodding his head slowly. "Thank you, for all of this, Edith."

"I can't take the credit. I'm glad we picked those guys as our leaders, they know how to get shit done." Edith confessed, her eyes quickly shifting to behind Lee as her face softened, her smile widening as she chuckled quietly. "Well, looks like the gang's all here."

Confused, Lee heard footsteps approaching behind him quickly, his eyebrows raised in surprise as he spun around, somewhat panicking over the unknown target approaching them until he realised that it was only Alicia. Face red and shoulder rising up and down with every breath she took, she just stood there panting heavily, looking at both of them before she gasped loudly. "I didn't know I'd be that long. Sorry about that."

"It's no problem. We've got everything we need, so you ready to set off?" Lee asked, turning back to Edith when Alicia nodded and started making her way over to the truck, Joel and the others had packed everything up, all of them bundling into the back of the truck and closing the shutters down, trapping them all inside until they reached home. With a short hug, he muttered to her. "Thanks, again. Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon."

"Tell Sarah that I miss her, okay?" Edith asked. Nodding in response, he watched as she backed away, Sam standing next to her as the siblings watched their friend walk over to the front of the truck, opening the passenger door and climbing in. Closing the door behind him, he peered in the wing mirror, watching the two waving goodbye to him whilst the gate slowly opened, the truck engine roaring to life when Al turned the key in the ignition. Lurching forward, they drove along the short path through the gate and into the outside world, the vehicle continuing down the lonely road whilst the gate behind them closed, keeping all threats outside the safety of the walls.

Lee continued to stare at the walls through the wing mirror, listening as Alicia yawned quietly, stretching her arms out in an attempt to stretch her muscles, the cramp in them unbelieveable as she slouched back into the seat, muttering to the others in the cab with her. "Wellington was unbelieveable, did you see those walls? Nothing could scale them. God, those people are very lucky to live there."

"I gotta agree with you, but Wellington isn't impenetrable." Lee pointed out, finally looking away from the wing mirror and instead staring at his companions, Alicia surprised with his words. "You heard what the leaders told us last night. Those bandits aren't robbing because they need it, they have a grudge, and sooner or later those grudges will have a nasty effect on all of us."

"Why? What'd they tell you guys?" Al asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

Glancing over at Alicia, she and Lee shared a wary look before he moved his sights over to the driver, pausing for a moment before he explained. "Wellington's run into a population problem. Edith told me about how many people she was forced to turn away on her leader's' orders, and that because of shortages with supplies, people were caught stealing and had to be exiled."

"Damn. I mean, I know things are hard nowadays but… I always thought Wellington took people in no matter what. I guess I was just fooling myself." Al grumbled, glancing over at Lee as she confessed. "I ain't gonna lie, when Carver was running Howe's I thought about leaving. Running away with people to go and find the haven up north."

"Really? You told me that you thought Carver was doing what was necessary." Lee recalled, remembering Al picking Carver's side during the rebellion, even going as far as to reject Riley's claims that he sent children outside the walls out of cruelty rather than necessity.

With a guilt-ridden look, Al nodded her head, her voice low as she replied. "I did, but that doesn't mean I thought it was right. I was a coward. Change was coming, and I didn't want to be on the wrong side at the end of all it. If it matters, I'm glad that you gave me another chance."

"People deserve second chances." Alicia pointed out, turning to Lee as she added. "I believe the bandits are just scared people who've been hurt. Sometimes, hurt people do things that they shouldn't, and a lot of people end up dead because of it. If you were in Wellington's shoes, would you do the same as they did?"

Caught off guard by the question, he blinked twice at her, remaining silent as he then turned to stare at the long road ahead. Thinking about it, he slowly came to his answer and, with a grim face, he turned back to her, staring down at her waiting expression as he nodded. "Yes. I would."

"Really? How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"We have to have rules. Being hurt doesn't excuse your actions, it only explains them." He sighed. Quickly, the conversation came to an end, everyone in the truck falling silent as Lee just leaned back in his seat, his arms crossed leisurely over his chest, staring out of the window at the passing trees and buildings, the fields slowly opening up as they took the routes mapped down on the piece of paper that Edith gave him. Quietly, he listened to the hum of the engine as the truck drove along the snow covered road, and thought about what they had just discussed for the entire journey home.

A few conversation starters were tossed amongst them during the journey, though Lee didn't indulge more than a few soft spoken words, and eventually Alicia gave up trying to fill the silence. It was a good thing for him as well, as the familiar sight of Howe's walls came into view, small people walking along the top as they watched out for any signs of dangers. Despite the snow proving difficult to drive in, the group didn't experience any shortcomings during the drive back to Howe's, mostly catching the bandits off guard with the unknown routes they took, keeping their precious supplies away from the main settlement. The sun was shining in the sky, moving slowly towards the horizon as it would soon set once more, the skies dyed the beautiful colours that Lee constantly saw with the sunsets.

Al eased her foot on the brake, slowing the truck down so that the guards on duty could open the gate, allowing them access to the insides of their community. Driving up the path, Lee just sat there, watching the people pass by as they went on to do the rest of their duties for the day, likely getting ready for dinner and for the guards to start their night shift. Exhaustion had already hit him, despite only eight or so hours passing by, and all he wanted was to relax in his office in peace. Sadly, he would have no such luck, as once the truck entered the back of the building into the loading bay, Christa and Jack were waiting there with bated breath.

"Well, time for you two to face the music." Al pointed out, turning the keys in the ignition and opening the door, jumping down as she added. "I'll make sure the supplies are taken to storage."

"Thank you, Al." Alicia replied, jumping down from the truck on the driver's side whilst Lee opened the passenger door, slowly making his way down to the marble floor. Once down, he closed the door again, turning to Christa as the pregnant woman approached him, her face relieved that he made it back home.

"I'm glad you guys made it back. Omid and I were worried the entire time you were gone, he wouldn't stop bringing you up in conversations." She joked, earning a laugh from a tired Lee.

Stretching his sore arms out, Lee groaned softly, letting his arms fall to his sides as he replied. "Man, it's great to be back, but… it wasn't all smooth sailing up there."

"Why, what happened?" she asked, glancing at the guards as they unloaded the back of the truck, using a trolley to carry the heavy crates to the side for unpackaging. Slowly, he could see realisation hit her, eyes glancing back at him as she continued. "We're down a soldier. What happened?"

"Liam got bit during a break. The walker was hidden under the snow, he never saw it coming. Al… she had to put him down so that he didn't suffer anymore." Pausing, he glanced over at Al, the young guard dragging the trolley over to the side for the crate to be put down, remaining silent whilst the others chatted away about their stay in Wellington. Quietly, he added to his explanation. "She's not doing too good."

"I hardly even knew Liam. He was one of the people that came in a few weeks ago, right?" Jack suddenly asked, walking closer to the duo to join in on their conversation. Lee nodded slowly, not knowing much about the deceased either, and watched as Jack sighed, fixing his glasses. "Damn. I thought he and Al got on just like siblings, hell, he did her a world of good."

"That's not the only thing going on. We need to go up to my office, this needs to be said in private." Lee grumbled. Christa and Jack appeared confused, the former somewhat unnerved by how worried Lee sounded, before the four turned around and walked out of the loading bay. In the main part of the building, Lee glanced around, watching people walking around minding their own business, talking amongst each other with laughter and cheer in the air. The new spotlights fitted in the community were slowly turned on, keeping the place fairly lit despite the dying sunlight outside.

Moving towards the stairs, he noticed someone walking down them, their quick footsteps echoing against the solid marble, until the person spotted Lee and paused. It was Sarah, with worried eyes and tense shoulders, she sounded relieved as she called down to him. "I'm so glad you guys are alright!"

"Sarah, what's wrong?" Lee asked, worried by her expression and tenseness.

With a frown, she glanced up the stairs again, the sound of people chatting and laughing likely coming from the restaurant, dinner time being around that time. After a few tense moments, she turned back to Lee, her voice low as she confessed. "I'm worried about Nick. Over these past few weeks, he's been really down, and now he won't come out of his room. I-I don't know how to help him."

"It'll be alright, sweetie. I'll go and see him once I'm done with what I gotta do now, you just go and have dinner." Lee consoled.

Sarah nodded at that, though she was unsure whether Lee could actually help him or not, quickly adding before she left. "Okay, but I need to be there. He's my friend. I have to make sure he's alright."

"Sure thing." With that, she walked back up the stairs, leaving the group behind as they made their way up the rest of the staircase. Once they reached the top, they ignored the lights and sounds coming from the restaurant, rather briskly walking over to Lee's office. It was dark and silent inside, a complete opposite to the community around them, and opening the door, he moved inside quickly, eager to get the meeting out of the way so that he could see how the rest of his friends were doing.

To his surprise, once they entered the room, he noticed a blanket left in the corner of his office, Buddy curled up on top of it as the animal slept soundly. The noise of the door opening alerted the dog, big eyes opening slowly and a loud yawn coming from deep within its throat, pearly white canines appearing behind curled back lips. A smile crept on Lee's face, his body relaxed as the dog noticed his presence, his tail wagging wildly whilst it jumped to its feet, approaching his new owner with squinted eyes and parted lips, his tongue flapping out of the corner of his mouth.

Kneeling down, Lee stroked the fur on Buddy's neck affectionately, listening as Christa spoke up. "He wouldn't leave your office for the entire time you were gone. We used a few blankets to make him a bed, and he seemed right at home this morning."

"Heh, you missed me, Bud?" Lee asked Buddy, the dog just panting loudly as he slowly stood up again, walking over to his desk and sitting down in the leather chair, his hands resting on the cold wood whilst the others surrounded him. Christa, with a hand on her swollen stomach, leaned against his desk, staring down at him with worry clear in her eyes.

"What's happened? You seemed pretty unnerved by something before." She asked.

Lee and Alicia glanced at each other, before the leader took in a deep breath and revealed what he was told back in Wellington. "The bandits. When Alicia and I were talking to Wellington's leaders, they told us something. People who've made their way up had to be rejected because of population problems, and they've joined the bandit settlement set up in Charleston."

"Charleston? That's on the point where all the routes we use to Wellington meet… I used to live there." Jack revealed, his face grim as he thought over what Lee just said.

Nodding, Lee allowed Alicia to take over, watching her speak out to the others with a concerned tone. "That's not all. The shortages in Wellington had caused people living there to become desperate. They tried to steal anything they could get, and the leaders had to kick them out… It seems that the bandits took these exiles in, turned their anger against Wellington into something useful."

"Jesus, these bandits have a grudge against Wellington." Christa gasped, crossing her arms as she fell silent, allowing Jack to take over with a stern look.

"I thought we were just dealing with shitty people, but if Wellington turned these people away, they're most likely seeing Charleston as a goddamn haven." He pointed out, looking down at Lee as he added. "Anger's a powerful motivator, and with our alliance, we're putting our people in the way of the bandits' wrath."

"I don't see a way around this, Jack. Both you and I knew Howe's before the alliance with Wellington, we need them just as much as they need us." Alicia snapped, turning to Lee as she added. "Edith gave you something before we set off, what was it?"

Remembering that, Lee shoved a hand in his jacket pocket, pulling the rolled up piece of paper and lying it across the desk, the advisors peering down to look at it. With a raised eyebrow, Christa was the first to speak, pointing out dryly. "It's a map."

"Really? I didn't notice." Lee shot back, a sarcastic bite to his words that caused her to glare at him, before he went on to explain. "Marissa made this. It shows other paths that we can take to avoid Charleston, and the bandits. They ain't gonna travel all the way out here to find supplies, and they don't know that we're changing routes."

"That's smart." Jack approved, turning to Christa as he added. "We keep changing routes, they won't know which one to stalk for supplies."

"She put times and dates on the back," Lee continued, flipping the map over to allow the others to see the scribbled handwriting. "They're times when the truck will leave Wellington and the routes they will take on different times. We use these to meet up halfway, exchange the supplies, and head back to Howe's. Lee fuel spent for both of us, and the numbers on both sides will offer extra protection."

"I gotta say, thank god for Marissa sometimes." Jack sighed, straightening himself up once he was done looking at the piece of rolled out paper. "Howe's was fine whilst you were gone. Frank gave Christa some reports about food, but on the medical side, we're running low on antibiotics."

"There should be more in the crates we brought back, including some natural remedies." Lee replied, rubbing his bear absentmindedly whilst Jack nodded at that, turning to Christa to silently gesture for her to give in her reports.

"Thanks to all the farming supplies we gathered from that farm, Frank's pleased to say that food production has increased. He's looking into ways to store some for next winter, in case the crops fail." She explained. Pleased with how well his community was getting along, it was almost possible for Lee to push his worries back, if only almost. Leaning back in his chair, he listened as Christa yawned. "I say we end this meeting quick. You need to eat, and then go help Sarah with Nick. He isn't doing good nowadays."

"I'll get right on it." Lee replied, standing up from his desk and moving back towards the door, ignoring Buddy sitting in his bed, short whines coming from the animal as his owner just left the office with the others behind him. Jack carried on towards the stairs, likely returning to the clinic to help the rest of his patients, whilst Christa walked off towards the restaurant, Lee spotting Omid standing by the door, waving a hello to the leader before rejoining with his girlfriend.

Smiling at the both of them, he listened as Alicia paused, staring at the restaurant before muttering to him. "I'm gonna go and find Kate. She must have been missing me so much… I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Alicia." He replied, watching as she left his side to go and find her daughter. With a deep breath, he exhaled through his nose and walked over to the restaurant as well, eager to find Sarah. It seemed that she had the same idea in mind, nearly running into Lee when he was close to the entrance, eyes wide as she bounced off his solid frame and stumbled backwards, a meek noise of surprise coming from her whilst she steadied herself.

With a surprised look, Lee stared down at her as he mumbled. "Careful there, Sarah."

"Lee! Good, I was gonna go and get you from your office after seeing Christa come in!" she explained, moving past him with a urgent expression on her face, her words spoken quickly as she added, turning back to face the leader. "Nick's hardly left his room and I'm scared for him, I don't know what to do… Please, can you try to talk to him? See if you can snap him out of this?"

"I'll try my best. Let's go." With that, the two of them made their way over to the staircase, wasting no time in walking down the steps quickly, their footsteps echoing against the marble. Sarah was fast on her feet, visibly worried and eager to reach Nick's room to try and help him, sparing no looks to Lee as she reached the bottom of the stairs, quickly turning to walk over to the shop next to the greenhouse doors. Lee followed, staring ahead at the door with his gut twisting, unsure what he would see when he went inside, and Sarah shared his worry, pausing once she reached the room.

Bringing her hand up, she hesitated in knocking, instead glancing behind her at Lee, her lips pulled in a deep frown as she breathed heavily, trying to calm her nerves before she finally knocked, her hand rapping against the solid wood twice. The sound echoed across the main building. Waiting, Lee gulped quietly, something solid trapped in his throat as he waited anxiously. There was no response, and so Sarah reached for the handle, slowly opening the door whilst calling out into the darkness. "Nick? It's me, Sarah. Lee's back from Wellington and wanted to know if you were alright."

Once again, there was no response from their friend, and Sarah glanced up at Lee as he came to her side, allowing him to enter first before quickly following after him. The room inside was pitch black, the light from outside highlighting the bed, a body lying on it quickly revealed to be Nick, his back to them as Lee held his breath. Slowly, he approached his friend, his hand reaching out to gently shake him, and he immediately retracted it when he saw that Nick was breathing. Sighing out in relief, he just stood there as Nick turned around, eyes reddened and almost lifeless as he stared up at Lee.

"What do you guys want?" he asked, shifting his stares from Lee to Sarah as he added. "I told you, Sarah, I'm fine."

"No, you're not." She argued, a concerned tone to her voice. "You're not eating, you ain't leaving your room at all. Nick, I'm worried about you. Please, just tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. I just want to be alone, is that too much to ask?!" he snapped, turning back around whilst Sarah and Lee shared a look, the younger survivor nodding her head at Nick, urging Lee to talk to him silently.

With a deep breath, he turned back to Nick, his voice gentle and soft as he called out. "Nick, man, you know we're your friends. We just want to help you, that's all. Problem is, we can't if you don't tell us what's wrong."

Nick didn't reply. Rather, he kept staring at the wall, his back to Lee and Sarah, and the former started to doubt that they could do anything to help him. Lee could see himself in Nick, the weeks after Clementine's death and all his friends falling save for Christa and Omid, and he knew exactly what it was like. Slowly, he moved closer, staring down at Nick as he started to explain. "Nick, I know what all this feels like. You lost someone close to you, and you're sad and hurt, you're probably thinking 'If I just did something different, this wouldn't have happened', but please, you have to listen to me. What happened with Luke and Pete, none of this was your fault. You can't look back and beat yourself up over it."

"What if I can't help but look back? You don't understand, Lee. My mom, Uncle Pete, Luke. It's never gonna stop. No matter what we do, someone is gonna die eventually, and then… it'll be our turn." His voice was low, but Lee managed to pick up what he said, feeling his gut twist at how utterly _dead_ Nick sounded. Sarah moved closer to her friend, slowly sitting down at the end of his bed.

"You're right, Nick. Eventually, we all will die, but it's how we live during the meantime that matters. We can't give up, 'cause then everyone who died to protect us would have given their lives for nothing. We owe it to them to keep fighting." She explained, glancing down at her hands as she confessed. "I know what you're going through. When I ran away from Howe's, I didn't know why all of this happened. I couldn't think of a reason for what Carver or Luke did, or why my dad had to die. I had no one, and it was a scary time, but then I met Edith and the others. They made me see that there is still a reason to keep going, and when Lee came to look for me, I knew that I could be that reason for our friends, for you."

Slowly, Nick sat up, turning around to face Sarah with a crushed expression on his face, Lee watching with saddened eyes as his friend shook his head. "You guys can just take everything this world throws at you and still keep going. I wish I was strong, but I guess I'm just not built for this."

Sarah frowned even more at that, staring at Nick as she quietly replied. "No one is."

"We can't tell you how to get over this, Nick. That's for you to decide." Lee continued, adding with a saddened smile on his face. "We're here for you, though. Every step of the way."

Nick paused, staring over at the open door with a thoughtful expression, until he glanced back at Lee, nodding his head slowly as he managed a small smile. "Thank you. I mean it."

"It's no problem, Nick. We should let you get some rest, and then we can start work tomorrow, yeah?" With Nick nodding in agreement, Lee's smile widened, and he instead moved to leave his room again. Sarah remained where she was for a moment, appearing in thought as Lee waited for her by the door, watching with confusion as she turned back to Nick. Slowly, as if unsure she was allowed to do so, she wrapped her arms around her friend, embracing him in a tight hug that he returned, his own arms wrapping around her chest.

"I was so worried about you." She muttered, her face buried in the crook of his neck. "Please, if you're ever like this again, tell me. I don't want to lose you as well."

"I know, I promise." He replied quietly, finally releasing her from his grip as she backed off, giving her a weak smile as he suggested. "You should get some rest. You've been working hard these past few weeks, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired." She agreed, turning around to leave the room as she finished the conversation with a quiet. "Goodnight, Nick."

"'Night, kid." He replied. Lee allowed Sarah to leave the room first, closing the door behind him to give Nick some privacy, staring at the wooden door with a heavy heart before turning back around. Immediately, he noticed Sarah sitting down on the unused fountain, her eyes staring at the floor as he made his way over to her, feeling his gut twist with worry.

"Sarah, you alright?" he called out, sitting down next to her. She made no effort to move, rather keeping her gaze downwards as she thought of a response, each second passing by only worsening the gut feeling in Lee's abdomen.

Slowly, she sighed, and confessed to the leader. "I'm sorry, I just… I'm scared for Nick. After thinking about it, I realised that we're the last two from our group… Everyone I knew, everyone I loved. They're all gone."

Lee said nothing, instead allowing Sarah to vent her feelings without the fear of being pushed aside or judged. Rather, he just sat there, watching as she pulled something out of her jacket pocket, and eyebrow raised when he noticed that it was a photo. Sarah stared down at it with a broken look, shoulders sagging with grief as she turned it slightly, allowing Lee to see it. Holding his breath, he recognized the photo, and pointed it out with a low whisper. "That's the photo you showed me when we first met."

"I took this before all of this happened. It's the only thing I have left of him…" she muttered.

Watching as she placed it back in her pocket, Lee replied to her with sympathy in his voice. "I'm sorry about Carlos. You must really miss him."

"I do… Lee?" she suddenly asked, waiting as he hummed in response, glancing up at him. "Do you still miss Clementine? I mean, do you think the pain of her being gone will get any easier?"

Lee just sat there with a shocked expression, his heart constricting with the mention of the little girl, and he quickly turned away, grim faced and silent. Sarah waited for his response, somewhat uneasy with his silence until he finally nodded. "I do miss her. Being back at the motel, watching her colour with her friend and being a kid, I'd give anything to be back there. Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever get over what happened to her… but hopefully, the pain will get easier to handle with time."

"That's what I hope to. Thinking about my dad, the times we spent together before all this… it hurts a lot. I just want him back." She confessed, sniffing slightly as she rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, standing up before Lee could comfort her. "I-I'm tired. You should go and see Lilly in her room, she's been asking about you all the time you were gone."

"Alright. Sarah, if anything's bothering you… you know you can come to me, right?" he pointed out, watching as Sarah just nodded in response, before turning around and walking back to her room near the clinic. Lee watched her go, worried about her, and yet a small smile appeared on her face when he noticed Riley appearing, stopping Sarah and talking in hushed tones.

Standing up, he glanced over at them talking, deciding to go to Lilly's room to see how she was faring. Walking over to the flight of stairs, the voices ceased and Riley pulled Sarah into a comforting hug, the scene heartwarming for him as he paused for a moment, before deciding to carry on to give the two teenagers some space to talk whatever needed to be talked out. Taking the steps two at a time, he quickly reached the top, feeling his stomach growl in hunger. He hadn't eaten all day, most of the car ride with him worrying about what to say to the other advisors when he got back to Howe's, and staring at the restaurant, he pushed the feeling of hunger down until he was finished with talking to Lilly.

She had gotten her old room back, the door closed completely to give her some privacy from the rest of the community. Reaching the door, he quickly knocked on it, waiting patiently as he heard mutters from behind and footsteps, soon after the door opening to reveal a sleepy Lilly behind it. Wearing just her tank top and some shorts, her hair was all over the place with her undamaged, half-lidded eye staring at him through the haze of drowsiness, a eyepatch covering her damaged socket. With a smile, he softly spoke to her. "Hey, Lilly. I was just coming by to see if you were alright."

"Lee? Damn, I didn't know you were even back." She muttered, rubbing her eye to rid it of sleep before she gestured for him to come in. "Come in."

"I didn't know you were sleeping. I'd have left this until the morning if I knew otherwise." He confessed, closing the door behind him as he glanced around the room. A lamp on her small table lit the room up, shadows dancing across the walls as Lilly moved back to her bed, slowly sitting down as she yawned.

"I wasn't sleeping. It's just these damn painkillers Jack gave me. They're strong as shit, but damn do they really take it out of you." She explained, leaning against the wall at the end of her bed, looking up at her friend as she added. "How was the trip to Wellington? You sorted shit out there?"

Lee paused, unsure whether he wanted to stress Lilly out even more with the truth, and knowing her slippery mental state, he elected to keep it from her as he nodded, moving closer to her bed as he sat down at the end of it. "Yeah. We've changed routes, and have decided to meet Wellington halfway to reduce the amount of gas we're using. With luck, the bandits won't know where the trucks go during the supply runs."

Lilly breathed a sigh of relief, a rare smile on her face as she replied. "That's good…. I'm gonna be honest, Lee, it's so much better not being in charge. The motel… I'm starting to think that maybe Kenny would have been a better leader. After all the shit that happened. I could have handled it better, and that ain't up for discussion, I'll be stuck with that until I die, but if it matters… I'm glad you were there to help."

"Lilly, about what happened with Carley…" Lee started, noticing her expression fall when he mentioned the late survivor. "I need to know. Why? Why did you kill her?"

Lilly didn't reply. Rather, she just sat there, her eyes falling to her feet whilst she thought about his question, Lee giving her time to think of what to say as he remembered the woman, his heart aching as he missed her dearly, even after all the time that had passed. Slowly, she quietly muttered. "I don't know. I want to say because she stole, but honestly? I just couldn't stop. We lost the motel, my dad, everything I worked so hard to keep. I just wanted to stop something before it could take any more from me… from us."

"What you did… I didn't know if I could ever forgive you, if I wanted to forgive you, but you almost gave your life for me. When Carver pointed that gun at me, you took the bullet. I may never forget what you've done, but… I think I can start to forgive you." Lee confessed, staring up at Lilly with a weak smile, the gesture returned by the tired survivor as she nodded.

"Thank you. I really mean it, Lee. I know I don't deserve it sometimes, but I'm glad we can start to put the past in the past." She replied, noticing the exhaustion hit him as she then pointed out. "You should really get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning."

"Yeah… Yeah, I'll do that. Night, Lilly." He agreed. With a nod, she watched as he stood up, walking back to the door with a slow pace to his steps, his hand pushing the door open as he glanced back, smiling at her before he left the room once more. Closing the door, he stood there for a moment, and was about to retire to his office when he noticed Omid leaving the restaurant, Christa nowhere to be seen when he walked over to his friend.

Omid paused, noticing Lee when he was a few feet away, a smile on his face when Lee noticed that he had a jar of pickles in his hand. With a raised eyebrow, Lee quickly joked. "You got the late night munchies?"

"I wish, but I can't stand these things." Omid laughed, a smirk on his face as he added. "They're for Christa. She's been having all sorts of weird cravings, guess it's the pregnancy or something."

"Huh, can't say I'm a big fan of pickles myself." Lee confessed, crossing his arms as he stared down at the few vegetables left in the jar.

"Anyway, I suppose it won't be for much longer. Christa's due date is just around the corner…" Omid paused, his face a mixture of worry and excitement as he quietly confessed. "Honestly, I'm scared shitless. I mean, what do I do? I don't have any previous experience with babies."

"I think a lot of fathers have been here before you, man. You just do what you think is right, as long as the baby's healthy that's all that matters, right?" Lee asked.

Nodding, Omid exhaled deeply, appearing calmer as he replied. "Right. Thanks, man. Now, I should get the lovely woman I call my girlfriend her pickles before she throws the jar at me. See you in the morning."

"See ya, man." With that, Omid left him alone, Lee watching as his friend disappeared up the stairs, retiring to his room on the second floor. After Omid could no longer be seen, Lee chuckled deeply at his worry over the baby, shaking his head as he retired for the night. Christa's due date wasn't for a couple of months, there wasn't much to worry about until then, but Lee would be a liar if he said he wasn't surprised with how quickly those months flew by.


	38. The New Arrival

Winter had finally passed. The snow that Lee was so used to seeing around his community had melted away, the sun shining high in the sky as he felt the warm rays on his back, his jacket left in his office as he enjoyed the heat for the first time in months, his bare arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the railing running along the top of the wall, preventing any of the guards from falling off accidentally. Just standing there, he stared off into the thick cover of trees, the long road stretching for as long as his eyes could see, the concrete car park visible without the thick blanket of snow covering it. Any car that had been left behind was taken long ago by the people living in the community, stripped for parts that were used to repair their trucks and other things.

In the distance, he could hear the horses snorting and galloping around the green grass, the herd having been cut in half to allow Wellington to use them. Caleb still remained with Howe's however, the young stallion proving too wild and dangerous for Wellington to use for their scouting, though the male horse seemed to have calmed down for Sarah and the new livestock carer. Lee didn't trust the animal, recalling just how much damage Caleb did to Alex and that being the main cause of his death. His thoughts drifted to Walter and Ellie, wondering how they were faring in their search for Matthew.

Over the months since he went to Wellington, he went back to focus on the food and medical situations, both of which improving since he took charge. Along with that, he had sent some of his scouts to return to the lodge where he met Matthew and Walter, wondering if they had returned there. Sadly, the scouts had no such luck in finding them, only finding the lodge to be abandoned, the bodies of Pete and Michael, Tess' brother, found having been left behind to rot. Nick didn't know about the fate of his uncle's body, and Lee made his point that no one tell him. Nick was recovering, if only slowly, and he still had moments where his depression got the better of him.

Lee would be a liar if he denied the fact that he was worried, and not only for Nick. Lilly was coping with the loss of her eye, but he saw her lose control over her emotions, her self-worth nonexistent after Carver put a bullet in the side of her face. All the anger and harsh words she threw at him, it was difficult for Lee not to take it personally. With the stress of leading and his friends being affected like this, all he wanted was to protect them, to help them out of the darkness that they found themselves in. The only thing that gave him hope was Christa and Omid, the couple getting ready for her due date, the time just around the corner.

Omid was excited, ready to be a father yet understandably frightened by the experience, confiding in Lee just like he did that night when Lee returned from Wellington. He tried to steer his friend in the right direction, offer him support for the time came and his baby would finally come into their world, and he could tell that Omid was worried for his baby. Their world was not normal or safe. Every corner hid potential dangers, and they had to try their best to protect both home and friends, but Christa wasn't as optimistic as they were. She didn't know if she would make it past the birth, despite Jack being on the scene and all the medical help that they can spare, and more than once she expressed this worry to her friend. With mutual agreement, it was decided that it would be for the best if Omid didn't know about these doubts.

Suddenly, he heard soft footsteps approach him, his head turning to the source of the sounds with a neutral expression on his face, a small smile appearing when he noticed Joel coming towards him. Pausing around a foot away from him, the guard turned his back to the railing and leaned against it, adopting a more casual posture with his rifle held in both hands, the barrel pointing towards the ground and his finger tapping against the smooth metal just above the trigger. The two survivors were silent if only for a moment, before Joel muttered to him. "You feeling alright?"

"I can't complain. I'm just glad all the snow's gone, I've had it up to here with the cold." Lee confessed, looking out over the car park outside their walls. With a deep frown, he didn't even look at Joel as he asked him. "This thing with Charleston. The bandits… I ain't gonna lie, it's what's mostly keeping me up at night."

"Same here. Scouts that came back saw some unsettling shit, seems that the bandits are getting bolder. We're seeing them branching out of the city over these past two months." Joel explained, a wary look on his face as he paused, looking down at the people that were walking around the front of the mall, enjoying the spring sunshine. "We've lost a few good people with the raids on the trucks. I thought changing the routes would give us a chance, but… I don't know. Maybe our luck was bound to run out eventually."

"Christa suggested going after the source, but their numbers are multiplying like shit, and with Wellington still rejecting people… It seems that everytime we put a dent in them, they just take it in their stride." Lee growled, feeling frustration at how helpless he was in protecting his people.

"We can get through this. Hell, it seems that the bandits are more into destroying things from Wellington rather than attack us, but with this alliance, I fear it's all about to change." Moving from off the railing, Joel instead turned to face Lee fully, his face stern and eyes narrowed as he added. "There's a storm coming. I just hope we aren't all destroyed by it…"

"That makes the two of us." Lee sighed, quickly adding with a low tone. "You got a smoke?"

"Sure do, traded one of the scouts some batteries for their radio. Got no signal, but at least we have some music playing." Joel replied, a small smirk replacing the serious look he just had whilst he rummaged through his pocket. Lee watched as he pulled a packet out, resting his rifle against the low wall as he flipped the lid open, tapping the bottom so that the end of a cigarette popped out. Offering it to Lee, Joel said nothing as the former took it, nodding his thanks as he placed it between his lips, holding it there whilst taking the lighter that the guard offered next.

Joel then took another cigarette out of the box, closing the lid and shoving it back into his pocket. Whilst he was doing that, Lee had already got a small flame going, bringing it to the end of the cigarette as he watched it burn, passing the lighter back to Joel as he took a slow drag. Holding the smoke in his lungs for a few moments, he let it bellow out of his nose and mouth, watching as the smoke drifted away in the gentle breeze. Joel didn't have the finesse as Lee did, taking a drag and quickly coughing his lungs up afterwards, his hands shooting up to his mouth as he hacked loudly. Unable to stop himself, Lee let out a deep chuckle, giving Joel a pat on the back to help the struggling survivor.

"You really should give those up." He joked, taking another drag as Joel controlled himself. "How's married life suiting your sister?"

The mention of his sister caused a genuine smile to appear on Joel's face, his voice gentle when he responded to the question. "She's so happy nowadays. It… It makes doing this shit that bit easier, you know? A reason for me to keep going, if only to keep her safe. There's people here that make you feel the same, right?"

"Yeah. I guess all the stress is just me wanting to protect them from all this. Losing people you care about, after a while… it just gets too much." Lee nodded, his face fallen in grief as he recalled his departed friends.

Joel noticed the shift in his face, a sympathetic look in his eyes as he too leaned his arms against the railing, continuing to smoke whilst he mused over his own problems. "Be honest with me, Lee. If you had a chance to change your worst mistake, would you do it? Even if it means that the present you're in now might never exist?"

Lee was stumped with that question. Thinking about it, he didn't even know what his worst mistake was. Over the course of his life, he had made so many, enough that he had long lost count, but there was one that stuck out in his mind. Slowly, he nodded, being watched by Joel as he finally confessed. "Yeah, I would."

"Huh. I suppose I would too." Joel hummed, letting the smoke roll out of the corners of his mouth. "You wanna tell me what you'd change?"

Lee was nervous, almost unwilling to tell Joel, but with just them standing on the wall, and the honesty of the guard with him before, Lee decided to let some information slip. If only some. "I'd have been more honest with Clementine."

"Clementine? That's a pretty name, who'd it belong to?" The other survivor questioned, an eyebrow raised at the name.

With downcast eyes, Lee stared at the ground below, watching the plants peeking out of the cracks in the tarmac, his voice low as he finally revealed. "She was in my group, just after all this happened. She… didn't make it."

"Ah…I'm sorry to hear that. Truly. If something had happened to our Kai, I wouldn't know what to do with myself." A cough came quickly after that confession. Lee didn't lift his gaze, rather staring down at the ground whilst Joel took one last drag of his cigarette, flicking the burning stub down to the ground just outside their walls, before he just stretched his arms forward with a tired expression. "I guess my designated smoke break is over. Best get back on my patrol, or Christa will have both our heads."

"I don't want her working so hard, not with the baby coming soon." Lee confessed, flicking his own finished cigarette over the wall as well.

"You try and tell her that, you're gonna find yourself on the other side of these walls. Hell, I only suggested that she takes a break." Joel mused, quickly adding with an indifferent tone. "I suppose it's just hormones. She should get better once that baby's shot out of her."

"Jesus, man, do you have to word it like that?" Lee groaned, turning around to look at the people walking along the open spaces down below, quickly spotting Omid amongst them with a worried look on his face. He just stood there, watching his friend glancing around down below, before turning back to Joel and dismissing him. "I got something to take care of."

"Same here, talk to you later, boss." Joel replied, walking back along the wall with his weapon back in his hands. Sparing no more time on the wall, Lee walked over to the ladder leading down to the ground, quickly scaling down it, boots hitting the tarmac of the car park inside the walls. He stepped away, turning around to spot Omid amongst the different face, some people sparing a short glance at the leader before their tasks brought their attention away once more. Ignoring them, he made his way over to his friend, a warm smile on his face when Omid finally noticed Lee from the crowd.

"Oh, hey, man." He greeted, standing still as Lee paused right in front of him. "I just came out here for some fresh air. Christa woulda come with me, but she just wanted to check over the guard rota first."

"I told her to take it easy. All this work, it's not good for the baby." Lee replied, crossing his arms as Omid appeared slightly worried, his eyes shifting over to a family enjoying the sun, the children, who Lee recognized as Thomas and Connie, sitting down beside their adopted parents.

He listened as his friend slowly confessed. "You know, I've been asking some of the dads around here for advice. Just to see if there was some sort of trick to going about this fatherhood, and they just laughed and said half the time, they have no idea what they're doing. No gonna lie, that really doesn't help."

"I suppose you just go along with it, do what you think is right for the child." Lee explained, watching the family laughing and playing as he sadly added. "I didn't know what I was doing with Clementine. Thinking about how to keep her warm and fed, safe from danger, that was what kept me up at night… but she was also what kept me going. Even when things got really fucked up, her smile made it that little bit better."

"Sometimes, Christa and I wonder just how Clem would react to being here. Kids her own age for her to play with, the walls keeping her safe… I know you still miss her a lot, we all do." Omid revealed. Lee involuntarily winced at the mention of her name, unable to stop his heart from constricting painfully, his throat feeling like it would close up at any minute. He swallowed hard, staring at Omid as he forced a smile on his face, quickly continuing. "But that's enough gloom. Hell, what you've done to this place, people are happy that they have safety and food. I know I'm glad that my baby will be raised here rather than on the road."

"Do you ever think what we would've found if we managed to get to Wellington? If Carver never found us in the first place?" Lee asked. Omid was silent, appearing thoughtful for a few moments before shrugging.

"I don't know. Considering they've been sending people away, we might have gotten there too late. Sofia would have been crushed…" Omid's voice dropped low, his face clearly showing some of his true emotions before he raised an eyebrow, quickly changing the subject again. "I thought we were meant to stop with all this doom and gloom? We should do something to take our minds off it, drinking, give each other tattoos, you're good at that, right?"

"What do you mean by that?" Lee asked, placing his hands on his hips with a small smile on his face.

"Well, you've been to prison. Don't they teach you how to tattoo your name on someone's ass in there?" he asked.

Eyes widening, Lee shook his head with a deep sigh. "No, I was on my _way_ to prison."

"Oh…" Omid glanced away sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck whilst grinning, a deep chuckle coming from his throat as he continued. "You know, we could play some poker. Al's got a pack of cards and a vicious gambling addiction-"

"Lee? Lee, you there?" a voice suddenly called out, crackling from deep within Lee's pocket. An eyebrow raised in confusion, the leader fishing the object out and staring at Omid, the latter somewhat surprised with the interruption.

Quickly, he pressed the button, never breaking his gaze from his friend as he answered. "Yeah, I'm here. Who's this?"

"It's-it's Sarah. Look, you gotta come to Omid and Christa's room like right now, and see if you can find Omid." Sarah explained, her words stuttering out and clearly sounding nervous, pausing whilst Lee watched Omid panic slightly, mouthing to him to ask her. Just like his friend, he was freaking out immensely, but hid it better when he turned his attention back to the radio.

"He's here with me, what's wrong?" he asked.

Before Sarah could answer, the sound of screaming could be hear in the background, causing Lee to stare down at the radio in surprise, eyes widening and glancing up at Omid, trying to appear as calm as possible when he noticed how freaked out the other survivor was. Hushed words of encouragement were muttered, and immediately after the young teen spoke up again, sounding even more nervous as she revealed. "It's Christa. Her water broke, and right now, Jack and I are trying to keep her calm but she wants Omid. Just, get him up here, okay?"

"Alright, we're coming up now." Lee replied, releasing the button and shoving the radio back in his pocket, looking up to see Omid staring up at him in shock, his mind likely reeling a thousand thoughts a second as he turned on his foot, practically running up the path to the front doors. Cursing under his breath, Lee followed after him quickly. "Omid! Wait up, man!"

Omid said nothing, rather wrenching the door and going inside of the main building, Lee hot on his heels. People passed by, confusion clear on their face as the two men made their way to the staircase, Lee finding it easy to keep up with his shorter friend, though he shared the panic that Omid was feeling. Obviously, this wasn't his kid, nor would he ever be in the same shoes as Omid, but Christa was one of his closest friends. The pressure the baby will put on both of them, he hoped they were prepared for it. Reaching the stairs, they both took two steps at a time, the sound of people laughing being heard from the restaurant, Lee recognizing Gabriel's hearty laugh from the more quiet chuckles.

Once they reached the top, Omid nearly ran into someone, the force of him colliding sending the person backwards, a high pitched grunt of pain coming from them. Looking at them properly, it turned out to be Riley that they bumped into, her eyes narrowed in pain and annoyance, voice sharp as she snapped at them. "Damn, you want to have another chance at giving me a concussion?"

"I'm sorry, I just need to get back to my room." Omid excused, the words spoken so quickly that he didn't even take a breath, whereas Lee just stood there surprised, having not seen the teen approaching them. Omid sighed deeply, offering his hand to help the teen up.

"I know," she started, taking his offer and got back onto her feet, brushing her sweater down. "Sarah sent me to find you guys. We better hurry, Christa's screaming the entire building down."

Nodding, the trio quickly made their way to the stairs leading up to the second floor, Riley and Omid rushing up ahead whilst Lee stayed close, able to hear cries of pain from the floor above. Concerned, he just followed after the two survivors in front of him, rushing over to the room that Omid and Christa took after the rebellion, the former sparing a nervous glance with Lee before Riley opened the door. She stood there, gesturing for them to go in with a nod of her head. Omid wasted no time, going inside, whereas Lee paused, staring down at Riley as she stared off in the distance, unable to look inside the room.

"You coming in?" he invited, staring at her as she thought about it.

Quickly, she shook her head, voice nervous as she stammered. "N-Nah, I'm, erm, I'm good."

She coughed quietly, her hand curled in a fist as she brought it in front of her mouth whilst Lee smirked, a raised eyebrow and crossed arms causing her to frown as she elaborated. "Look, I'm just not good with any of that… stuff. You know, babies and that sort of thing? I-I… hmm."

"You can't be afraid of blood, I saw you cake yourself in that sort of shit with your scouting missions." Lee replied.

"It's not the _blood,_ it's just… the other shit. Fuck, I don't even know what it's called. The fucking placenta or whatever!" she hissed, cursing under her breath as she added. "Man, Sarah's gonna be there anyway. She's the medical helper, I'd just get in the way. I'll wait out here, or better yet, I'm gonna go and enjoy my day off."

"Come around later. Sarah'll want to show you the new baby she helped deliver after all." He offered. Riley's stern expression softened, a sheepish smile on her face as she glanced away, a rose tint to her pale cheeks as she looked back up at him.

"You think I can… hold the baby?" she asked, glancing inside the room as she added. "I-I mean, I've never done that sorta thing before. Hell, I was an only child… I don't even know how to actually hold one, but, c-can you, maybe, show me how?"

"Sure thing. Go on then, enjoy your day off without someone screaming in your ear for hours. God knows that's how I'm gonna be spending today." Lee joked. Riley let out a small laugh, her smile minute but genuine, and she nodded slowly, walking away from the room to do her own thing. Watching her until she reached the stairs, Lee turned his attention back to the cries of pain, the hushed whispers of comfort given by Omid whilst Jack helped her through the birth.

Going into the room, he noticed the doctor standing at the end of the bed, a mask over his face as he stared down between Christa's legs, propped up and spread to allow him to help her through the labour. Sarah stood by his side, visibly grossed out by what was happening, whilst Omid had ran to Christa's side, holding her hand as she focused on her breathing. Pained eyes flashed over to where Lee was standing, Christa smiling softly before the pain forced her to cry out again. Instead, Sarah turned to him, gloved hand resting on the woman's knee as she called out.

"Lee!" she smiled, before Jack turned to the leader, his face stern and eyes focused on Lee.

"Lee, if you're gonna be here, go and keep Christa calm. Sarah and I got it down here." He ordered, turning his head back to his task on hand as Lee nodded, walking up to the other side of Christa. Worry was clear on his face, staring down at her pained expression, sweat rolling down the side of her face as she panted.

Looking up at him, she gritted her teeth as another sharp pain ran through her, eyes squeezing shut as did her hand around Omid's, her boyfriend clearly showing the discomfort coming from his constricted hand. Opening her eyes again, she turned to Omid and panted. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't know it would hurt this much!"

"It's alright, honey. I think my hand can get through this." He joked back, earning a smile from Christa before she laid her head against the propped up pillow.

"Work on your breathing, it'll get you through it, man." Lee retorted, shooting a smirk at Omid that was returned back, the latter raising an eyebrow as he conceded.

"Alright, I'll let you have that one, asshole." He could only be distracted for a moment before Christa's screams grew louder, his face falling as he turned to Jack. "Jesus, isn't there something we can give her to help?!"

"Omid, we are low on painkillers, and I don't want to give Christa something that could affect her and the baby." Jack replied calmly, showing sympathy for their situation as he added softly. "Please, just let me do my job. She'll be in good hands."

Nodding, he and Christa listened as Jack went on to explain to her. "Christa, you're only in the early stages of labour, but when I tell you to, I need you to push. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah, yeah, fuck… okay." She gasped. Lee was silent whilst he explained that, before he turned back to look at Christa, noticing her hair starting to stick to her forehead with sweat shining off her skin, thankful that he didn't have to go through labour. His mother told him what his birth was like, and it haunted him, especially now watching his friend go through the same thing.

"You're gonna be okay, Christa." He consoled, raising his hand up as he offered. "If this gets too much, just squeeze my hand, okay?"

"Thank you…" she sniffed, wincing once more as her hand shot out to grab his. Lee wouldn't lie, he regretted offering his hand with the strength she was squeezing it, but given a choice between that and labour, he'd pick getting his hand crushed any day. Sarah appeared by his side, a cloth in hand, and gently wiped Christa's face as she whispered.

"You're doing great, Christa. Just hang in there, okay?" A smile appeared on her face when Christa nodded in response, too tired and in pain to form any words, before returning to Jack's side to help him.

Lee felt like it was hours before anything happened. Suddenly, Christa let out a horrific scream of agony, causing him to jump back in surprise as he glanced over at the doctor, Sarah's face paling as she backed away for a moment, needing some time to compose herself before she could help again. Omid just muttered words of encouragement to her, before her pain caused him to call out to Jack again. "Dammit, what's going on?!"

"Well, I'm gonna need Christa to start pushing now. Her cervix is fully dilated." He responded, glancing between Christa's legs to her face, his voice calm and composed as he ordered her. "Did you hear me, Christa? Your baby's coming now, I need you to start pushing."

"I heard you the first fucking time!" Christa snapped, her teeth gritting together as she turned to Omid, her voice pained as she shook her head. "Jesus, please, I just want the pain to stop…"

"I know. It won't be long now, we're almost there." He replied, taking tight hold of his girlfriend's hand and letting her squeeze it, eye twitching in pain whilst he watched Jack and Sarah working at the bottom of the bed. Lee continued to stand there, feeling powerless, unable to help his friend or make her pain stop, and seeing her once strong face crumpled crushed him.

Quickly, he turned to Christa, watching her agonised stares at the doctor whilst he reminded her. "Think about all you've done to get to this moment. You remained strong so that your baby can come into a world that's safe for it, right? Well now we need you to keep being strong. You can do this, I know you can."

"That's easier said than done." She confessed, before nodding slowly. "Okay, okay… I can do this. Hopefully."

Her jaw clenched as she pushed. Lee stood there, holding her hand whilst Omid comforted her, the couple anxious for the arrival of their newborn baby. The pain was obviously having an effect on her, the drowsiness clear in Christa's face as she continued to push, her cries of pain and her begging for it to all stop loud in the air, and they were all unable to do anything. Instead, all Lee could do was offer her a comforting smile, and wait the labour out. Omid, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck, his head constantly snapping back and forth between Christa's face and the doctor working away delivering his baby, Sarah moving around to prepare the towels and other equipment needed to clean the infant.

Suddenly, Jack's voice called up to them, a short laugh coming from the doctor as he sounded genuinely excited. "I can see the baby's head! Keep going, Christa, you're doing great!"

"I've decided that this is the last goddamn baby I'm ever having!" Christa snapped, turning to Omid when he tried to speak, quickly adding. "If you tell me to hang in there one more time, I'm gonna make you bunk with Lee!"

"What did I do?!" Lee asked, standing there with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

Christa couldn't respond, gritting her teeth together as she let out a long list of curse words under her breath, her eyes squeezed shut again in an attempt to handle the pain. Lee turned to Sarah, noticing her shocked expression at witnessing the labour, and couldn't help but laugh when she finally spoke up. "Woah, the baby's head is… pretty big."

"That's around the normal size." Jack replied, an eyebrow raised as his shoulders tensed. "And they're coming out pretty fast. Shit, get the towels ready, Sarah!"

She quickly got on it, rushing towards the small set up they had for the labour process, grabbing the towels with both hands as she returned to Jack's side. Lee was anxious, his stomach flipping during this entire labour, and he could only imagine the ups and downs that Omid and Christa were going through. He winced when she squeezed his hand particularly tight, making no comment about it whilst watching the doctor and his assistant, listening to Jack's orders as he gave them to the young teen. "Alright, get the towels ready. I'm gonna help the baby out once the head and shoulders pass."

"I'm ready." She replied, watching Jack's movements as she raised an eyebrow, nervously glancing up at Christa as she added. "Christa? I think you might need to give the little guy a big push now."

"She's right," Jack started, not even looking at the pained woman. "Give me one last push, just so I can get the baby out."

Nodding, Christa prepared herself mentally for the final push, her hands constricting around Lee's and Omid's as she gave out a loud scream of pain, her head leaning against the pillow and her breathing loud. The two male survivors beside her gave each other a look, before the sound of crying brought their attention down to the end of the bed, Lee's face completely showing his shock at the sight. Sarah stood there, a bundled up baby in her arms as she brought the infant over to their mother, a grin on her face as Christa stared at the baby, her panting loud as she gasped. "That's… that's my baby?"

"It's a girl." Sarah replied, pressing the bundle to Christa's chest whilst Jack clamped the umbilical cord, wiping sweat from his brow with his sleeve as he turned to Omid, scalpel in hand and a smile on his face.

"It's usually the father that cuts the cord. You up for it, man?" he asked, holding the sharp blade out for him to grab.

Omid was stunned. The baby finally here and being through the labour, he just nodded silently and took the scalpel, watching as Jack showed him where to cut. Lee watched with pride, looking down at Sarah as he congratulated her, a wide grin on his face at the lovely scene in front of him. "Hey, you did good, kid."

"Thanks." She replied, staring at the crying baby before she added. "I just can't believe it. I delivered my first baby. I-I mean, Jack did most of the work but… still, it's nice, you know? No matter what, we've met someone new. Someone who can give people hope."

"Hope…" Lee muttered, watching the baby being held in Christa's arms, her tired face practically beaming with love for her newborn child. Softly, he whispered to the little infant, staring at her pudgy face. "Hey, there. You've been crying for literally all your life, you know that? I mean, after what I've seen, it's your mom who should really be crying that much."

"Lee." Christa laughed, turning to Jack as the doctor moved to take her baby, watching him worryingly before he calmed her down.

"Don't worry. I'm just gonna clean him up, and then you guys can attempt the first breastfeeding." He explained, turning around as he called over to Sarah. "Come over here, Sarah. I should show you how to properly clean babies."

Lee left them to it, turning back to the happy couple as he chuckled. "Well, that was an adventure, but let's not do this again. God knows I could go a lifetime without seeing that."

"I think I agree with you." Christa smiled, resting her hands on her abdomen, glancing over at the baby being cleaned as she muttered. "We still need to name her."

"I guess we can't go with Omid Jr, huh?" Omid joked, earning a smirk and a raised eyebrow from Christa, before he just laughed softly. "You're right, you're right. How about Genevieve?"

"That was my great aunt's name, and I don't want her to have a name from our grandparent's time!" she shot down, shaking her head with a bright glow to her face, a smile widening as she saw the baby being brought back to her. Lee moved out of the way, letting Sarah through as the young teen passed the calmed down infant back to the mother.

"You guys thinking of names for her?" she asked, standing there as the couple nodded.

"Having a pretty difficult time about it, though. Bit weird, considering we've had nine months to think of one." Omid joked.

Staring down at the baby's sleeping face, Christa quickly added with a knowing tone. "That's because we've been distracted with surviving these past nine months."

Her boyfriend threw his hands up in defeat, looking down at the baby with a warm look, a gentle smile on his face whilst Christa appeared thoughtful, quickly turning to Lee as she remembered. "I told you the name I wanted if the baby was a girl, didn't I? Natia."

"Natia? That's an awesome name." Omid agreed, taking the baby whilst Christa rested. Lee watched as he gently rocked the baby in his arms, slowly sitting down beside Christa on their bed, his voice soft as he cooed. "Natia… You like that, don't you? Well, I guess that's settled then. Man, our cat would have loved you… as long as you're not allergic. My cousin was allergic to cats, his face blew up every time he came to my house."

"I think all she's gotta worry about is the dog." Christa chuckled, watching her boyfriend connect with their baby. Suddenly, a guard opened the door, everyone standing around turning their attention to the person as they stood there, nervously rubbing their neck.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you, boss," they started, before pointing their thumb backwards urgently. "But we got newcomers in the quarantine that Jack needs to check over, and I don't wanna keep them waiting long enough that shit starts to fly."

"It's alright, I'm finished here anyway." Jack shrugged, keeping his mask on as he pulled the gloves off, leaving them on the trolley as he then turned to Sarah. "I need you to take these back down to the clinic for cleaning, then stay to keep an eye on the baby. Anything happens, you have your radio."

"Will do." Sarah nodded, turning her attention back to the adorable baby.

Whilst his friends were distracted with the newcomer, Lee moved over to Jack, his voice quiet as he piped up. "I should come with you. Just to welcome them and lay down the rules before we let them out into the community."

"I woulda asked you, but I thought you'd want some time with the abby." Jack responded, his voice somewhat muffled underneath the mask, and the two started walking out of the room.

Lee shrugged at that, turning around to give a final glance to the scene before the door shut behind them, giving the people inside some privacy to welcome their newest arrival. "Omid and Christa should have some time alone with their baby. The birth doesn't mean I get to stop doing my job around here."

"You and me both." Jack chuckled, lowering the mask so that he could inhale fresh air. "Man, I could use a break after this. If anything, it's nice seeing a new face around here, especially a baby's, but I ain't gonna lie to you, Lee… Most of the time, the births aren't easy. Christa's pretty lucky."

"You've had to do this before?" he asked, feeling a solid lump in his throat at the thought of someone giving birth during Carver's reign, and Jack's grim expression did nothing to help his intrusive thoughts.

"People have unprotected sex all the time nowadays, especially with the stress of just surviving. Carver made a point that babies only drag us down, affect the whole community without giving anything back. Most of the time, I've had to deliver miscarriages and stillborns. I'm not proud of what I've done here, Lee… I know that." He sighed, his eyes falling down in grief whilst all Lee could do was offer a hand on the shoulder, smiling awkwardly in an attempt to pick him up.

However, Jack just glanced up at him, before continuing on to the staircase, following after the guard that came to collect them. "Come on, we better get a move on."

All throughout the walk, Lee just stared ahead anxiously, occasionally glancing at Jack's back with his stomach twisting painfully, wondering about the things that Jack had to do under Carver's rule. His deeds clearly worn him down, sitting heavily on his shoulders, and from what Lee had seen in the past, it would only be a matter of time before someone snapped again. When they reached the shutters leading into the quarantine, Lee had to remind himself that it was no longer a pen, and he was no longer being forced to live in the cold outdoors with only a thin blanket to keep him warm. If he closed his eyes, he could have sworn it was being back there again, being corralled like animals against their will, waiting until the cold and infections picked them off one by one.

His thoughts were brought back to the present when the shutters rattled loudly, being pushed up by the guard who led them there before he gestured for the two survivors to go inside, Jack pulling his mask back up as they both entered the closed off area. Having not been in there since the rebellion, Lee was surprised with the improvements made, the roof now covering the whole area rather than half, and the workers working hard to make the beds more comfortable, the blankets thicker than what he had before. Slowly, Jack turned to Lee, gesturing for him to start speaking.

Clearing his throat, Lee took a few steps forward, watching as a group of six people noticed their presence and started to make their way towards him, pausing as he addressed them. "Before I lay down the rules and what will happen from here on out, I just want to first welcome all of you to Howe's. I hope that you will all settle into the community and prove that you can contribute. We aren't assholes here, but be warned, I will not tolerate rules being broken in my community, so consider this your first and final warning."

Pausing, he listened as one of the survivors coughed, watching Lee intently as he continued. "Alright. First off, you will all be examined for bites and injuries by our doctor, Jack. If he gives you the all clear, you will then be put to work in areas that best suit your skills. Your past before the plague will be taken into consideration also, so be honest with his questions. We will not tolerate stealing, abusive behaviours to anyone, nor will I tolerate any act of violence. You do that shit, you're getting exiled. Do I make myself clear?"

"What's gonna happen if your doctor finds something? Like a bite or something?" a woman asked, stepping out from the line with narrowed brown eyes and shaggy black hair cut extremely short.

Lee raised an eyebrow at her question, before he explained it to her. "Any bite victims will be put down if it cannot be amputated, or the victim will not survive the procedure. I'm sorry, but we cannot risk the safety of our people for one person. Injuries sustained before you came here will be treated by our doctor, along with any preexisting conditions being recorded for future use. It'll be his decision in what happens, so do not keep anything from him."

"We won't hide anything. Thank you, for taking us in." A man nodded, moving forward and clasping the woman's shoulder, sharing a look with her whilst Lee just crossed his arms, trying hard not to intimidate any of the newcomers.

"It's no problem. Work hard, and you'll come to enjoy your time here." With that, he turned his back to them, turning to Jack as he quietly muttered. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. We gotta be careful with new people."

"Don't worry about it, I've done this before." He replied, moving closer to the newcomers as he instructed them. "I'm Jack, the community's doctor. I'm just gonna do quick body searches, take vitals and just make sure you guys are in general good health. You."

He pointed to the woman before, her face twisted in annoyance as he gestured for her to follow him. "I need you to come over here so I can check you."

"Come on, don't you have a woman to do this?" she snapped, crossing her arms in complete refusal.

"Look, I'm a doctor. This is my job and I'd really appreciate it if you just give me a break, especially since I spent the last few hours delivering a baby." Jack sighed, rubbing his face in exasperation. Lee didn't blame the woman. She was in a strange place, and not everyone would be happy with being checked over by someone they literally just met. Standing there, he watched as the woman raised her eyebrows in surprise, a growl coming from her as she just followed after him to a closed off area for privacy.

Lee remained where he stood, turning to the other people as the man from before piped up, rubbing his stubbled chin with his palm. "So, you've been in charge for long?"

"Been going for three months. Honestly, you guys found this place at a good time." He answered, eyes glancing over at the private area that Jack took the woman, before he continued the questions. "So, what's your story? I mean, any skills or anything that Howe's can use?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself." The man laughed, moving forward and taking Lee's hand, shaking it with a firm grip. "Name's Rahim, I worked up in Baltimore in an dentist clinic. The woman your doctor just took was my girlfriend, Amanda."

"She's…" Lee paused, unable to think of something positive about the man's loved one.

Whilst he was thinking, Rahim let out a snort, moving closer as he muttered. "She's a bitch, but I love her like that. Hell, she's gotten me out of trouble more times than I can count."

"And that's a lot, considering he can count very high." A sudden voice joked, Lee and Rahim turning to spot Amanda walking back, Jack beside her with a stern look on his face. Pausing beside him, she kissed his cheek and turned to Lee, quickly adding. "Don't worry. We're not gonna be causing shit for you. In fact, we owe your scouts our lives. They're miracle workers."

"She's clean of any bites or injuries. Now, I got other people to look at in here, so why don't you go and enjoy a break? God knows you deserve one after all the effort you put in these past three months." Jack pressed, giving the leader one more smile as Lee nodded.

"I could use a break. You sure you got things around here?" he questioned, unable to stop some worry gnawing at him, leaving their doctor with people they've never met before. Rahim seemed nice, but surviving in this world for months had a drastic effect on one's trust.

"I got this. Go on." Jack answered, turning his attention back to the people in the quarantine whilst Lee just nodded, turning his back to the people as he walked back to the shutters, keeping his sights set forward as he left the closed off area to go on to do other things. The guard stayed with Jack, ensuring that the doctor was safe in case things got a bit hairy. Alone, Lee just walked along the hallway, enjoying the serenity of his peaceful community around him, his footsteps echoing against the solid marble as he drifted off into his thoughts.

Time didn't allow him long, however, as he nearly collided with someone whilst making his way towards the stairs, his hands fast in grabbing them to stop the person from falling over, Looking down, he realised it was Riley, her face annoyed as she griped. "Goddamn, are you just gonna keep pushing me over?"

"Sorry 'bout that. I was just thinking, that's all." He excused, forcing his mind to focus on the teen in front of him rather than slip back into the daydreams he was having. Riley waited for him to let go off her, an awkward smile on the grown man's face as he released her sweater, watching whilst she smoothed it out for a second time that day, readjusting the beanie that she had taken to wearing to hide her shortly chopped hair. He never even noticed her hair until she started wearing the hat.

Riley just scoffed at that, before she averted her gaze slightly, her voice nervous as she asked him. "So, is Christa done? Like, with the labour?"

"Yeah, she's given birth. It's a girl." Lee smiled, a delighted smile on his face as the picture of the baby's face appeared in his mind, the pudgy cheeks and closed eyes. He missed having someone like that in his group. Innocent, that is. Crossing his arms, he couldn't stop the joy from coming up in his voice as he revealed. "They've decided to name her Natia."

"Natia, huh? It's a pretty name, I'll give them that." She chuckled, a smirk on her face before she asked him abruptly. "Is Sarah still with them? I kinda wanna, maybe, see the baby, if that's alright?"

"It's no problem. Come on, kid." Lee welcomed, gesturing for the young teen to follow after him. The two made their way up the stairs, an awkward silence between them as Riley rubbed her lower arm, looking at everything besides Lee whilst he just glanced down at her. Slowly, he decided to speak up, his voice a low drawl as he mumbled. "So, you can say that it's none of my business but… I do appreciate you being there for Sarah."

"Well, where else would I be? She needs me!" Riley pointed out, unable to meet Lee's gaze as she allowed a small smile to appear on her face, her voice calmer as she continued. "And Sarah is pretty cool. I mean, all this medical nonsense goes straight over my head, but she's just, I don't know, taking it all in? You know what I mean?"

"I do. You're not the only one, I'm useless at medicine too." He confessed, earning a quiet giggle from the young teen as they both fell in silence again. Just as awkward as before, he didn't know what to say to break the tension between them, and quickly decided to stay on the topic of Sarah as a mutual interest. "So… how did you and Sarah become friends? I mean, the way you two act, you seem to have known each other for a while."

"I've known her for about as long as she's been here, even before the escape with her dad." Riley explained, her face fallen in sorrow as she glanced away, continuing to walk until they reached the stairs leading up to the second floor. Taking them slowly, Lee glanced down at her, a worried frown on his face.

"Well," he started, thinking of a way to go about the conversation. "I was just wondering. She never mentioned anyone from here when we first met."

"Yeah, well I don't blame her." She sighed. The look on her face made Lee pause, wondering if it was right to continue to the conversation that was clearly upsetting the young teen. Instead, he elected to stop it there, but offered an ear when Riley opened up on her own accord. "You know when you say something, and it hurts someone real bad, how… how do you go by making it better? Like, how do you fix it?"

"Well, do you regret saying whatever it was that hurt them?" he questioned, a small smile on his face when Riley nodded, staring down at her with sympathy in his eyes whilst he answered her question. "Be honest with them. You apologize, and if they want, you stick with them through thick and thin."

"Yeah, okay, that makes sense." She hummed, appearing somewhat relieved with the advice as she smiled up at him. "Thanks."

"No problem, kid." He smiled back. Both of them reached the top of the stairs, making their way over to the store close by, the gentle hum of chatter around them setting a calm atmosphere in the community. Adults sat on the benches, talking and laughing quietly, whilst the few children that weren't outside playing were reading by their feet, engrossed in whatever fantasy story they were reading. It was a nice sight, needed more than the shit Lee saw before, and he paused to take in the calm scenes around him. Riley appeared to enjoy it just as much, a warm glow to her pale face as she laughed quietly.

"This is really nice, Lee. I know you got loads of people saying this, but… I just wanna say. You're awesome." She praised, watching as he turned back to her, her laughter growing at the sight of his shocked face. "Don't let it get to your head. You still got a lot of work to do, but you've made things so much easier for everyone. I can't remember the place ever being like this when Carver was in charge."

"I'm just surprised with how many people actually like me ruling. Honestly, I half expected this place to go up in flames in the first week." He joked, a grin on his face as Riley just returned it.

Her grin shrunk however, eyes nervously glancing over at the door leading into Omid and Christa's room, her hand returning to her lower arm to rub through the wooly fabric. Softly, she wondered. "I know this doesn't make much sense, but I'm excited, but nervous at the same time. I mean, babies can sense all that crap about you, like if you're a good guy or not, right? What if the baby doesn't like me?"

"How can anyone not like you, Riley? You have that way about you." Lee joked, though the concerned expression on the younger girl's face caused him to lighten up, moving closer as he placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping eye contact as he consoled her. "Hey, it'll be alright. You're a good person, so you have nothing to worry about with the baby. Okay?"

Nodding, she inhaled deeply, breathing out through pursed lips before muttering. "Okay. Come on, then."


	39. Cannot Wait For Death

When Lee walked back into the room that he left his friends in, nothing much had changed. Christa was resting, her chest falling and rising softly with each breath as she slept, Omid was sitting in a chair beside the bed with Natia in his arms, and a calm expression on his face. The whole scene felt really serene. Riley stayed close by Lee's side, staring at the baby nervously before glancing up at Lee, taking his smile as encouragement to keep going. With the door closed behind them, the noise alerted the inhabitants to the two survivors' presence, Omid glancing up whilst comforting the baby in his arms.

"Hey, guys." He greeted, keeping his voice down to avoid waking both baby and mother. "Christa was exhausted, so we told her to get some rest. Little Natia here is sleeping like a… well, like a baby." He chuckled.

"She's really quiet." Sarah piped up, sorting out the instruments on the medical tray for cleaning when she took them back to the clinic. Riley was silent, rather just standing there awkwardly as she continued to stare at the baby, turning her head when Sarah added. "You never would believe this, Riley. I delivered my first baby!"

"Holy shit, that's awesome. So… did you hold her?" the other teen asked, rubbing her lower arm with a small smile.

"Yeah, It was amazing. I mean, once the baby was cleaned and all that, before that it was kinda gross. Isn't she so adorable, though?" Sarah asked, turning her back to the medical tray and instead moving closer to her friend, a bright smile on her face whilst Riley nodded, glancing over at the sleeping baby. Suddenly, Sarah appeared thoughtful, waiting a few moments before approaching Omid, the latter staring down at his child as she asked quietly, trying not to disturb the sleeping infant. "Can Riley hold the baby, please?"

Looking up to the waiting teen, Omid chuckled deeply and passed the baby over to her, whispering to her. "Yeah, just be careful with her, and be careful not to wake her up."

"I will, I promise." Sarah replied, taking the baby gently into her arms, before turning around to her friend. Seeing the baby coming closer clearly unnerved Riley, the young teen backing away slightly before Lee placed a hand on her shoulder, silently encouraging her to face her fears. Quiet, she took the baby from Sarah's arms, listening as the latter explained to her. "Hold her like this."

Copying her actions, Riley finally got it right, holding Natia close to her chest whilst staring down at the peaceful face. Lee smiled at the scene before him. Sarah was, for the first time since she came back, genuinely happy, and her friend was showing the shock and excite that he had hardly seen with the young teenager. Holding her finger out, Riley gasped quietly when the baby grabbed it, surprised with the grip the infant had, and she gleefully whispered to Sarah. "Sarah, look! She's holding my finger."

"It's a reflex, I think." She replied, moving closer to Riley. "She seems to like you a lot, though."

"You really think so?" Riley muttered. Lee stood there, recalling their conversation just outside the door, and was pleased to see that she was worrying over nothing. Leaving them to it, he turned over to Omid, watching the father leaning back in his chair with a glow to his face, glad that all the pain and screaming was done with and that he could spend time with his daughter, having waited for the nine months anxiously. He looked up at Lee when the latter started to approach him, glancing back at Riley and Sarah as they quietly gushed over the adorable baby.

"You know, my dad once told me just how hard it was to care for a kid, especially so considering that kid was me." He started, waiting for Lee to lean against the wall beside him before continuing. "He told me about the long nights where he got no sleep, having to go to work the next day so deprived of sleep that he didn't even realise when he fell asleep at his desk. He was a history teacher, you know? The main reason I went on this history car trip across the country."

"It sounds like you care a great deal for him." Lee imputed, watching as Omid just let out a quiet laugh.

"Yeah, I guess I do. Despite all the troubles he had raising me, he told me that he had no regrets. I wonder where he is now…" his voice dropped with the last sentence. Lee frowned deeply, feeling sympathy for his friend sitting in the pit of his stomach, and his gut only twisted painfully when he added. "Sarah certainly loves the baby, huh?"

"Yeah, she does. Riley looks like she's about to pass out, though." He pointed out, both he and Omid staring at the teen as she nervously stood there, the baby waking up in her arms as it squirmed, whimpers coming from the infant that caused her to completely freeze up. Sarah took over, taking Natia from her friend's arm and bouncing her slightly, muttering soothing words under her breath to calm her down. Slowly, the infant listened and quieted down once more, the two teenagers talking to each other whilst the adults watched.

"She was worried that the baby wouldn't like her. I don't know how long it's been for Riley since she was last at ease, not constantly on guard against the world. Maybe this will be good for her." Lee explained, pleased that Sarah showed a skill around babies, though the panicked look on Riley's face didn't make him laugh, rather it worried him. He didn't want her to become overwhelmed with it all.

"Hopefully." Omid replied, before falling silent as they watched the teens cooing over the baby. Sarah was explaining the whole birth to Riley, ecstatic that she had delivered her first baby, though her friend's face slowly got redder and redder as she continued to talk, the latter not noticing this change in colouring as she stared down at the dark, pudgy face of Natia, the bundled joy bringing a bright smile to her face.

After a few minutes of talking, she turned around to Lee, comforting the baby as she stared up at him, her voice quiet as she asked him. "You wanna hold her?"

"Huh? No, no, sweetie, I'm no good at holding babies. Just enjoy the time with her." He rejected, stiffening when Sarah ignored him, walking closer as she passed the baby into his arms. Unable to reject the pass, he took Natia from the young teen, though he verbally voiced his nervousness. "Okay, I guess I am now."

Sarah took a step back, watching as he awkwardly held the sleeping infant with a worried look on his face. After a while, it didn't seem as scary to him, in fact, he enjoyed looking down at Natia as she slept, wondering if this could have been him in a different universe. Staring down at his own child, he felt the pain hit him square in the chest at the remembrance that he could never have what Omid had. From behind him, he heard Omid reveal. "So, Christa and I have been talking… and we've decided that, you know, 'cause you've been a good friend to the both of us, we want you to be Natia's godfather."

Shocked, he turned around to his friend, staring down at Omid's smirking face with wide eyes, trying to think of what to say. Eventually, he spluttered out. "Woah. That's really kind of both of you, really. I'm honoured that you thought that I'd be a good godfather."

"Yeah, Christa thought that you were doing everything for the community, and for the group, and she wanted someone for the baby to aspire to be." Omid explained, chuckling softly as he added. "I thought Natia would want a badass looking godfather."

"Thanks, Omid." Lee shot back sarcastically, a smirk on his face as he glanced down at the whimpering baby. Rocking her gently, he whispered to her. "Hey, sweetpea… You want your daddy? Come on, let's give you back to him."

Moving closer to the other grown man, he passed Natia over, her whimpers growing more and more whilst Omid took her from him, trying to calm her down. However, she quickly began crying, her hands curled into small fists and eyes scrunched close, and her father was dumbfounded on how to comfort her. Sarah moved to his side, confused on what to do as she suggested. "Maybe she's hungry?"

Omid hummed at that, confessing to the young teen. "Probably. I just didn't wanna disturb Christa, she's been through a lot."

"I don't mind if it's Natia waking me up." Christa suddenly replied, slowly opening her eyes as she stared at her family, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips before she held her hands out, beckoning for Omid to give her the crying infant. "Pass her over here, Omid."

"Come on, honey, let's go back to your mommy." Omid whispered to the crying Natia, passing her over to Christa, the latter taking hold of the baby before she glanced up at Lee. Taking a hint, he coughed awkwardly, turning to Sarah and Riley.

"We should should give them some privacy. Let's go and take the stuff down to the clinic." He suggested, watching as Riley realised what was about to happen and, with a flustered expression, started dragging the tray out of the door, Sarah pushing the other end. Following after them, he turned back to offer the couple a small smile, Omid returning it brightly, before he closed the door behind him. Outside of the door, voices could be heard all around them, the laughter and chatter of children and adults alike as they went on their merry way, doing whatever they did during their free time.

Glancing behind him, he noticed Riley standing by the wheeled tray, staring at Sarah as the latter was wearing the beanie she just had, a smile on her face as she complemented her friend. "You suit that pretty well."

"Really? Thanks!" Sarah replied, adjusting it with a goofy expression on her face. "Where did you even get this from?"

"If you find a pack of cards, bet Joel one of his hats for some cigarettes and you'll get a new hat. He's really bad at poker." Riley smirked, directing the last sentence at Lee as he chuckled deeply, amused by the thought of Joel losing to a fourteen year old girl.

"I don't know how to play poker. Do you think you can teach me?" she asked.

Riley raised her eyebrows in surprise, before she just nodded with a warm smile on her face. "Sure. If you come to the restaurant after dinner tonight, it'll be me, Joel and some of the other scouts there."

"Sure, I'll be there!" Sarah replied, turning to Lee as she asked him. "Do you wanna come too, Lee? You've been working a lot lately."

"Be warned though, some of the guys will lose respect for their leader when he gets beat by a kid." Riley shot back. Lee smirked at that, crossing his arms as he stared down at the teenagers in front of him, pleased to be having a normal conversation for one.

"Alright." He agreed, noticing Riley's smirk growing larger as he added. "But you better be prepared to lose."

"We won't know until tonight." She retorted, turning to start pushing the tray again. Sarah took her cue, helping her by guiding the tray from the front, both of them walking over to the staircase to take the medical tools back down to the clinic. Lee just watched them, making no move to follow after them and rather just walked over to the window looking out over the outside world. He recalled standing by the window on the floor below with Alicia, back when Carver was still ruling. Watching the dust being kicked up by the walkers tied to the wall. It made him sick to the stomach even to that day, and looking at the people enjoying the sun below, children running around playing games, it made every day that bit easier. He knew he was doing good, no matter the problems lurking beyond their boundaries.

The sound of barking brought his attention away from the window, his head turning in the direction of the sound as he noticed Buddy running around, enjoying the time spent playing with the children. The dog was looking brighter, no longer depressed over the loss of his owner, and Lilly had taken to giving him a new look, replacing the collar with a navy bandana, a golden H stitched into the fabric to symbolise the dog's alliance with Howe's. Lee thought it was cute. Walking up the stairs behind Buddy was Lilly, the young woman looking brighter considering she had finished her treatment of painkillers.

Immediately, she noticed Lee standing by the window, making her way over to him with a smile on her face, though she nearly pushed a child over when they came running towards her right side. Pausing, she made sure the child was alright, trying to apologize to the parent whilst they were understanding, Lee watching with his pleased expression turning concerned. Lilly may have been coping, but it must have been difficult adjusting to one eye. Buddy seemed to have sense her distress at the incident, running up and nudging her hand, bringing her attention away from the situation and instead leading her over to Lee. He raised an eyebrow at this, unsure how the animal was able to know that Lilly needed to get out of that moment.

However, he pushed that concern aside when Lilly walked up to him, her voice quiet as she revealed. "I heard that Christa's given birth."

"Yeah, a little girl. They've decided to name her Natia." Lee replied, petting Buddy on the head as he sat there, panting away in the warm climate.

"That's good news." She smiled, appearing genuinely happy for the couple and their new baby, arms crossed lazily as she moved towards the other end of the window, glancing outside with a calm expression on her worn face. Lee just stared at her, eyes running along the scarred skin that was visible around the eyepatch, unable to meet her gaze when she looked at him, having noticed his stairs. It made him feel terrible, and he often wondered if he could have prevented that.

Slowly, she didn't bring his stares up, rather continuing on the topic of the baby. "It'll be nice having someone new around here. Someone… innocent, you know?"

"I know. I'm happy for Omid and Christa, they've been so worried about the baby. It's good knowing that Natia is healthy." He confessed, crossing his arms as he leaned against the windowsill. Lilly nodded at that, her hand being nudged by buddy when Lee stopped stroking him, displeased with the lack of attention, and so she began stroking his ear affectionately. He leaned into the touch, his head leaning against her leg as she glanced down.

"He seems to really like you." Lee pointed out, staring down at the panting Buddy.

She laughed softly at that, looking up at Lee with a smirk. "Jealous?"

"Well, considering it was my neck put on the line to save him, yeah. I'm jealous." He retorted, returning her smirk with his own. "I will give you this. You know how to dress him."

"Oh, do you like it?" she asked, surprised by his compliment as she moved her hand stroking Buddy's ear down to the bandana wrapped around his neck, feeling the soft fabric between her long fingers as she continued. "I thought he'd look cuter in this. I can't stitch for shit, though, so Kristina did the H for me."

"When did Kristina know how to sew?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"We all have hobbies besides our jobs, Lee." Lilly chuckled, crossing her arms as she pointed out. "Joel likes to gamble. Kristina sews. Gabriel is a big yoga fan. Hell, Riley is great at sketching."

"I never knew that." He admitted, surprised with some of the hobbies that his people enjoyed. Remembering the poker game he was invited to later on, he wondered if Lilly could do with relaxing, deciding to ask her whilst she was there. "Hey, Lilly?"

She said nothing, waiting for him to continue as he did, a smile on his face. "Riley's invited me to a game of poker with others after dinner tonight. I was wondering if you'd wanna join us?"

"I don't play poker. I feel like I would lose my dignity before I even sit down." She joked, though her voice took an appreciative tone as she nodded. "Alright, fine, but I'm gonna need someone to teach me."

"Team up with me. From what Riley said, we should be able to win a few hats from Joel by the end of the night." He laughed. Lilly joined in on his laughing, both of them falling silent after as he glanced out the window, listening as she spoke up again.

"I'll see you guys there, then." Her footsteps followed after the words were said, echoing through the floor as he continued to stare out of the window, a soft smile on his face with the thought of enjoying himself and being with friends looming just around the corner. It was a few minutes before he pulled himself away from the window, and he decided to finish up any work needed before he would wind down and enjoy himself. Dinner wasn't long after that.

With the spring arriving, the vegetables grown during the winter were being harvested, some spinach and leafy greens being more common in the meals. The change was mostly welcomed, though Sarah showed some hesitance in eating her greens, something that was not uncommon with the kids that were surrounding them. It made Lee chuckle under his breath. He would take Sarah being picky compared to her starving, though she eventually gave in and ate them. Christa and Omid were absent from the dinner table, the former exhausted from giving birth and so her boyfriend going down to receive some food, Gabriel offering his congratulations for their new arrival whilst passing the plates.

It surprised Lee when he saw Nick arriving halfway through the dinner hour, sitting down next to the leader with a tired look, though he started to brighten up a bit when Sarah explained her day to him, the help she gave throughout Christa's birth making the taller man beam with pride as he rubbed the top of her head, the beanie Riley gave her no longer there. Other than that, he was mostly quiet, and Lee couldn't stop the concern from creeping up on him.

The light coming through the open doors was slowly dying, the skies the familiar mix of oranges, pinks and reds, and it was starting to get late. Other survivors took that as time to put their children to bed, Alicia cradling a sleeping Kate in her arms as she passed Lee by, offering him a soft smile that he returned, his heart warming at the sight of the child's peaceful expression, drool staining her shirt as Kate rested her head against her mother's shoulder. Others followed, though some of the scouts, including Riley, moved over to the table Lee was sitting down at, the young teen sitting next to Sarah with a pack of cards in her hand.

"You ready, guys?" she asked, shuffling the cards with skill. Joel sat down next to Lee, a sour look on his face when Riley paused her shuffling, glancing up at the older man with a smirk on her face. "What, you ain't got nothing to bet? Or you too chicken after the last ass-kicking I gave you?"

"Shut it and just deal the cards." He grumbled, fishing out a carton of cigarettes and tapping one of them out the box, Lee noticing how little he has left. As soon as he placed the cigarette between his teeth and grabbed his lighter, Gabriel appeared with a stern frown, glaring at him until Joel sighed exasperatedly.

"Fine." With that, he stood up, walking over to the open balcony doors whilst lighting the end up. Lee glanced at Nick beside him, the two survivors flashing an amused smirk to each other whilst the guard had his smoke break.

"You joining, Gabriel?" Kristina offered, leaning back in her chair as she quietly groaned in pain, moving down to remove her prosthetic leg whilst Lee sat there in shock, completely forgetting that she was indeed missing a leg. Noticing his stares, she raised an eyebrow and piped up. "What?"

"Nothing." He lied, turning back to Riley shuffling the cards as he added. "I just forget about all that."

Kristina shook her head with an amused look, taking no offense to Lee's response to her leg, and rather propped it against the leg of the table, turning her attention back to the young teen as Gabriel sat down beside Sarah, a joking tone to his voice as he nodded. "I'll stick around for a few rounds. Long enough to see Joel lose even more of his dignity."

"Got room for one more?" a voice called out, some of the survivors at the table turning around to see Lilly standing there awkwardly, waiting for confirmation to join before she sat down. Gabriel was the first to reply, patting the back of the chair beside him as he offered.

"Sure thing, Lilly. Come sit here." She did so, walking quickly over to the empty chair and sitting down, flashing a smile at Lee as he returned it. He was glad that she came after all, it would do her some good to reconnect with friends after the incident. Finally, Riley started dealing out the cards, leaving herself out as she whistled loudly.

"Alright, guess I'll be dealer." She mused, turning to Sarah as she smiled. "I'll help you along with this first game, and then you can try on your own, alright?"

"Sure!" she replied happily, glancing at the others around her as Joel finally returned from his smoke break, coughing quietly as he took his seat next to Lee again. Leaning back, he took a peek at his cards, his face a blank slate as he glanced up at Riley, the teen helping her friend as she peeked at the cards, muttering something to Sarah that the others couldn't hear. After that, the dealer moved her face away, and leaned back in her chair as the others started betting.

Cigarettes, batteries, anything that the scouts found that was of any worth in their world, and Lee sat there as he betted a candy bar he found in his desk, watching with a neutral look. Riley dealt the first card, Kristina humming under her breath whilst folding her cards. "Nah, I fold."

"Already? Must have been some shitty cards." Riley joked, flicking another card out as she looked over at Sarah's cards, muttering something else to her as the other teen nodded intently, listening to her advice.

It was fun. Just sitting there, laughing and joking with friends rather than being cooped up in his office. As the cards were dealt, Lee glanced down at his pair of queens, noticing a third queen having appeared. Gabriel and Lilly both folded whilst he was lost in his thoughts, and all that remained where Lee, Sarah and Joel, Nick watching with a warm smile as he piped up. "You three have played this game before."

"No, not really." Sarah rejected, shaking her head before glancing at the cards on the table. "Have you, Nick?"

"A few times. My dad showed me how to count cards, won us loads when I was younger." He revealed, chuckling under his breath. "That mean old bastard was a useless father, but he did teach me a thing or two."

"Speaking of counting cards, _Riley._ " Joel growled, glaring at her from across the table as she nonchalantly sat there, a fake surprised look on her face as he accused her. "I know that you did that last game."

"I don't count cards. Skilled people don't have to." She shot back, folding her arms on the table with a smirk. "Don't be a sore loser, and don't bet things you don't wanna lose like an idiot."

"Accept her victory, man. She bested you." Gabriel laughed, amused by Joel's blatant refusal to accept that he was beat by Riley. Lee chuckled along with them, watching as the younger man just narrowed his eyes, glancing down as Riley revealed the last card of the river. A King of Hearts.

Joel smirked at that, turning his cards over with a gloating tone. "I guess this one's mine, guys."

His hand was revealed to be a four of a kind, Lee frowning as he showed his two queens, narrowing his eyes when Joel's face brightened, a whistle coming from him as he chuckled. "A pretty hand, but it ain't pretty enough. Come to papa."

He made a move to take his loot when Riley stopped him, a smirk on her face as Sarah revealed her hand, her voice taking a humorous tone as she boasted. "Royal Flush. The loot's hers."

Dumbfounded, a flush crossed Joel's face as Gabriel let out a hearty laugh, Lilly and Kristina chuckling whilst Nick just placed a hand on the dejected survivor's shoulder, making him sit down again whilst Riley moved the look to Sarah. The latter was surprised that she won, picking up the candy bar as he mumbled. "What do I do with this?"

"You won it, kid. Enjoy it." Kristina explained, taking the cards from Riley as she added. "I'll deal this time."

"You alright there, Kristina?" Gabriel asked, suddenly appearing concerned when the woman's eye twitched in pain, her hand moving down to her amputated leg as the others watched her, all of them worried for their friend.

She didn't reply for a few moments, glancing around until her eyes settled on Gabriel, and she tried to excuse herself. "It's nothing. Just some pain in my leg, that's all."

"I got just the thing for pain." Gabriel smiled, standing up as he briskly walked over to the counter, disappearing whilst the others just sat there in confusion. Lee crossed his hands on the table casually, listening to the shuffles occurring behind the scenes.

Suddenly, Kristina spoke up, her voice guilt-ridden and nervous as she explained. "I don't think I'm gonna be able to head out with the others tomorrow, Lee. I-I'm sorry, it's just the pains have been flaring up again, and it's just… hard to deal with."

"Don't worry about it, I'll head out instead. It's better than being stuck in my office all day." Lee replied, understanding of Kristina's predicament. She was visibly relieved with his calm words, nodding gratefully before they noticed Gabriel returning to the table, a bottle of what looked like wine in his hand. The others looked around at the cook, surprised to see alcohol when he smiled warmly.

"I keep a few bottles around here. No need to hide them anymore." He explained, opening the bottle and passing the bottle to Kristina. "Nothing stops pain like booze."

Taking it from him, she glanced at the label and raised an eyebrow. " _Barbaresco. Grazie, Gabriel._ "

"Can I have some after you guys?" Riley suddenly asked, watching as Kristina took a large gulp of the dark liquid. The question shocked her, causing the woman to splutter out of the wine, a dribble coming from the corner of her mouth as she wiped it.

"Riley, come on, you're only fourteen." Joel scolded, shaking his head as he added. "We gotta have some civilisation from before. It don't sit right with me offering alcohol to a kid."

"Hey, I can cover myself in walker guts and shoot a gun, but you're right to be unnerved if I want a sip of wine." Riley shot back sarcastically. Lee did agree with her, but he also thought about what he'd be like if it was an older Clementine in front of him, asking if she could have some wine. Mostly like Joel, in his opinion. Kristina, having regained her composure, glanced down at the bottle in her hand and, with a sigh, passed it over to the teen.

"Just a sip." She warned. Riley smiled at that, taking the bottle as she took a sip, being caught off guard by the burning sensation at the back of her throat as she coughed abruptly. Sarah laughed quietly at that, patting her back with a gentleness to the action whilst the adults found the situation amusing.

"May you ain't ready to start drinking." Gabriel chuckled, taking the bottle away as Riley nodded in agreement.

"Tried it, never again." She croaked. The cook took a large gulp of the wine, less affected by it than the teen, and began to pass it around the table for others to take turns, whilst Kristina started to deal the cards. Lilly paused when it was handed to her, appearing thoughtful before she took a sip, likely unwilling to get completely wasted like the others. After that, she passed it to Joel, the latter not even bothering to look at the bottle when he passed it to Lee.

"You don't drink?" Lee asked, taking the bottle from him and taking a sip.

Taking his cards, Joel took a peek at them, before he looked up at Lee and answered with a shrug. "Not a big wine fan. Prefer bourbon if I'm honest."

"You have good tastes." He replied, preferring that to the wine in his hands. It wasn't a bad brand of wine, in fact it was pretty good, but Lee would have given anything to have some bourbon after a long day. Turning his head, he noticed Nick not even looking at the bottle, and rather quickly passed it back to Kristina when the leader passed it to his friend, saying nothing as the woman just accepted it. Lee glanced over at Sarah, spotting a sad smile on her face before she turned her attention back to the cards.

"Right," Kristina started, taking a swig of wine before she continued. "Let's start then, huh?"

They carried on playing and drinking until late at night. Lee had rejected any more wine, wanting to quickly check on Christa and Omid before he retired to bed, and soon he stood up from the table, bidding goodnight to his friends. Sarah remained where she sat, wanting to spend some more time with the other survivors before going back to her bedroom. Leaving the restaurant, he made his way through the darkness up the stairs, taking care not to trip over any of the steps, rather listening to his footsteps echoing through the empty space. The guards on duty were scattered throughout the building, a few situating themselves on the top floor, wanting to keep close in case something happened to Christa.

One of the guards acknowledged their leader's presence, sitting down on the bench in the middle of the floor with their gun propped against it. He returned the gesture, before opening the door quietly in case the residents inside were resting. Glancing inside, he noticed Omid sitting in the chair, having fallen asleep whilst Christa sat up in her bed, cradling Natia in her arms with a tranquil look in her eyes. The movement of the door caught her attention, and a stern expression appeared quickly, before disappearing when she noticed it was just Lee. Calming down, she whispered to him as he walked closer. "Couldn't sleep. Omid's long gone, though."

"I can tell." Lee laughed softly, glancing down at Natia with a gentle gaze. "She's pretty peaceful there."

"It won't last long, she was crying so much before." Christa groaned, leaning back into her pillow. Lee remained silent, glancing up from the baby to the exhausted mother, and instead listened as she confessed. "I knew this was going to be hard, and I don't regret her birth. I spent nine months worrying. About her safety and about mine, but looking down at her face now… it makes everything we've gone through worth it."

"She'll be safe here, Christa, I promise." He swore. Everytime he looked down at Natia's pudgy, peaceful face, he felt a determination deep within, determination to protect that source of hope, of innocence. It almost reminded him of a time before Howe's, back at the motel, and on the road just after that, when he used to look at Clementine's face.

A sigh could be heard, bringing him back out of his thoughts as Christa murmured. "It might not be possible, but thank you."

Both of them than sat in silence, rather enjoying each other's company during this emotional time, and quickly Omid's snoring filled the room, causing the two survivors to chuckled quietly to avoid waking him. Lee decided to sit on the end of Christa's bed, unable to stop the thoughts of tomorrow from intruding into the mind. It was a supply run tomorrow, and with the bandits getting larger and bolder, he worried about when they would actually turn their eyes on Howe's as well. So far, they only occupied themselves with getting back at Wellington, but he would be a fool if he thought it would last that way forever. His friend seemed to have noticed the expression shift, her voice calm but somewhat nervous as she asked him. "Lee, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing to worry yourself about." He tried to excuse, though her face turning stern made him sigh and confess to her, noticing Omid's noring having ceased. "It's just a supply run tomorrow, but Kristina isn't able to go with the others because of her leg. I offered."

"Lee." Christa sighed, her next words something Lee knew she was going to say. "I get that you're just trying to be more active in how Howe's runs, but I don't like you putting yourself in danger like this all the time. There's gotta be a line we cross, and with the bandits being like this, I say this is the time you stay here. For your own safety if nothing else."

"I can go." Omid suddenly offered, startling both of them as Lee turned his head quickly, spotting the other man slowly sitting up from his slouched position in the chair, stretching his arms until there was a pop.

"Omid, it's fine." Lee rejected, glancing back at Christa and noticing her concerned look. "I can do it. There's people there to protect me, I won't be alone."

"Come on, Lee. Don't try and put me on the bench because you're afraid I might get hurt. I can do this." Omid pressed, glancing at Christa and Natia. "If it means we have more protection, and get those supplies that we need, I'm willing to risk it."

Lee was unnerved by the offer. He knew Omid was able to do it, the shorter survivor had proven that the whole time they were on the road together, but he just feared for his safety, and for Christa and their newborn baby if Omid didn't return. Christa glanced at him, her eyes narrowed as she adopted a more protective tone. "No. I won't allow you to risk yourself for this. There's people here who can do it, you stay here."

"I'll be fine, Christa." He replied, a smile on his face despite his girlfriend being in a less than joyful mood.

"If he wants to do this, then I'll go with him. I'll make sure he's safe." Lee promised, knowing that Omid just wanted to help his friend in these times of need. With both of them against her, Christa just glared momentarily at Lee, annoyed that he would take Omid's side in this argument, but his stoic face caused her to just sigh to herself, nodding slowly with a quiet tone.

"Alright." she agreed, turning to Omid with a soft frown. "But you better come home."

"I promise, honey." He smiled, moving forward to plant a kiss on her forehead, moving down to stare at their sleeping baby. Watching the infant rest caused exhaustion to fully hit Lee, a yawn building up in his chest as he slowly stood up, stretching his arms out similar to Omid just before.

Turning to them, he smiled softly, keeping his voice low to avoid rousing the baby as he bid farewell. "I'm gonna head off to bed now. We gotta be up early if we're to reach the rendezvous point at noon tomorrow."

"Same here. Likely not gonna get much with this lil lady right here." Omid joked, taking Natia from Christa's arms before moving back to his chair, sitting down in it with his daughter in his arms, the sight of them being peaceful the last thing Lee saw before he exited the room. With heavy footsteps, he made his way back to his office, and retired for the night, finding sleep harder to come by with the threats looming in the back of his mind.

The next morning came suddenly. Lee awoke with a groggy look on his face, his back stiff from sleeping in the office chair all night, and he couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't gotten a room for himself, or even just a bed to put in the office so he didn't fall asleep at his desk anymore. Regardless, that was pushed to the back of his mind when he noticed a plate of food left by where his head was resting, a note left beside it with the writing looking somewhat cursive.

 _You were asleep, so I left your breakfast for when you woke up. Everyone is waiting for you downstairs, by the way. Good luck on the supply run!_

 _Sarah._

With a warm smile on his face, he tucked into the cooked eggs with hunger eating away at his stomach, enjoying the taste of freshly cooked food compared to cold beans or whatever he could find on the road. Soon, he finished it, and glanced down at his watch, noticing that it had gone past half eight. Cursing under his breath, he jumped from his desk, leaving the empty plate behind as he exited the office, pausing when he noticed Sarah in the doorway of the restaurant opposite his room, chatting away happily with Gabriel. She didn't notice him, and he was on a tight schedule at the moment, deciding to talk to her when he returned from the supply run.

Rushing, he practically ran down the stairs, careful not to slip and tumble down them or run into the other survivors that were making their way up the flight of stairs. They gave him some strange looks, but held their tongues as they continued to walk. Leaving them be, he carried on his way to the loading bay. The doors to the large room were already open. Walking inside, he noticed the guards on duty for the supply run standing around, Christa and Omid talking in the corner near the tools that Nathan kept. Deciding to walk up, he overheard some of the conversation between the couple.

"I don't like this, Omid." He heard Christa whisper, her voice wracked with worry as her boyfriend stood there, arms crossed and a frown on his face.

"It'll be alright. Lee'll be with me, and our soldiers too. I ain't going out there alone, at least." He tried to joke. Christa just frowned even more at that, obviously not in the mood for jokes, and instead turned her head to the approaching Lee, staring at him with a mixture of concern and anger.

"I'm not happy that you agreed with him last night, so you better keep true to your word. Bring him home." The last sentence was spoken in a softer tone, and Lee couldn't help but feel guilty for agreeing with Omid last night. She was genuinely worried for his safety.

Nodding slowly, he watched as Omid just brought Christa closer, gently pecking her on the lips before looking down at Natia in the woman's arms, bringing his hand up to stroke the infant's face affectionately as he murmured. "Don't worry, I won't be gone forever. We'll be home soon."

"Okay. Be safe, both of you." Christa ordered, glancing at Lee again with a small smile. He returned the gesture, before gesturing for Omid to follow after him. Walking away from the woman and her baby, they stared at the truck, Joel standing there with a lit cigarette between his lips. Leaning against the front door, he noticed the leader and his friend coming over and stood up properly, turning to the other guards.

"Come on, ladies. Look alive." He chuckled, his words somewhat muffled with the cigarette between his teeth. Lee paused in front of him, noticing Riley appearing from behind the truck as he moved to point this out, only for Joel to beat him to it. "Riley's tagging along with us for today, just so I can show her what it's like on the supply runs."

"I thought you prefered to be a scout." Lee shot back, staring down at the short teen as she shrugged.

"I have other hobbies." She joked, a sly smirk on her face as she explained. "I do like being a scout, you see different places, and I never like being cooped up, but I can actually help get supplies into Howe's with this."

"Alright, then. Just stay close to us, it can get pretty dangerous on these runs." Lee instructed. Riley nodded at that, before she made her way to the back of the truck again, jumping in with the other guards. Joel, knowing his smoke break is over, plucked the cigarette from between his teeth and flicked it onto the ground, stomping it out with his shoe before jumping into the front of the truck, sitting in the driver's seat whilst Omid and Lee got in through the passenger door.

With his friend sitting in the middle, Lee sat by the window, watching as Christa stood there, comforting Natia as the baby started crying loudly. The truck backed out of the loading bay, the shutters slowly closing again once they were out. On their way to the meetup point, Lee just settled down in his seat, knowing that it was going to be a few hours before they met up with the people from Wellington. Omid was silent beside him, likely stuck in his own thoughts, and so they just sat there in complete silence. The hum of the engine was the only thing that could be heard inside the cab of the truck.

It wasn't long before rain started to fall. Drop after drop hitting the windshield, the windscreen wipers brushing them away with the squeaking replacing any conversation, and soon it was heavy rainfall, soaking the tarmac road that they drove on. The familiar highway they drove on showed the accidents that occurred between the supply runs, new walkers feasting on a fresh corpse as the truck drove by, Lee wincing when he noticed the face, half-chewed, staring up at the sky in a permanent expression of terror. Quietly, he heard Joel mutter to him. "That ain't the worst of it."

"You see a lot of that on your runs?" Omid asked, unable to look at the scene as they left it behind, continuing down the highway.

"Jesus, where do I start?" he retorted, glancing at Omid and Lee with a grim expression. "After a while, you just take it in your stride anyway. No use shedding tears for people that are gone."

"Shedding tears means we're still human." Lee shot back, somewhat unnerved by Joel's matter-of-fact way of handling the situations. He didn't respond to that, rather his gaze falling down to the hands on the steering wheel, his fingers gripping onto the wheel with a tight hold. Omid glanced back at Lee, both of them sharing a concerned look before they decided to let the conversation go, leaving the driver to stew in his own thoughts as they continued to drive down the road.

The trees swayed in the rough winds, the showers of rain washing away any dirt and blood from the incidents that occurred along the highway. The dull sound of the rain hitting the roof was the sound that Lee paid attention to, trying to fight the boredom that crept up on him, his face leaning against the palm of his hand whilst his elbow was propped up against the window, eyes half-closed as he daydreamed. Soon however, he was pulled out of his thoughts when the truck slowed, the sight of another truck and people standing in the middle of the road catching his attention. The symbol of Wellington painted on the truck calmed his nerves, and once they stopped, the first person to approach them was none other than Sam.

Opening the door, Lee frowned with the thought of getting soaked, but jumped out of the dry truck nonetheless. The rain soaked right through his shirt, making him wished he grabbed his jacket before he left. With a wide grin, Sam approached the leader, no longer wearing his thick russian hat, showing off scruffy brown hair, but still sporting his coat to protect himself from the cold rain. "You should of dressed a bit more smart for this weather, Lee."

"I didn't know it was gonna rain." Lee shot back, a smirk on his face as he glanced behind the other man. "Edith not with you?"

"Nah, she stayed back in Wellington. Told me that when I get back, she has some news for me." He explained, an excited tone to his voice that reminded Lee of a child. Pausing, he glanced past Lee's shoulder, looking at the guards that exited the back of the Howe's truck with an unsure look, appearing like he was looking for someone in particular. Lee turned his head, confused as to who he could have been looking for, and listened as Sam awkwardly asked. "So, erm, is Al with you guys?"

"No. She's on guard duty back in Howe's today." He replied, glancing back at Sam to notice his disappointed expression. Realising the intention behind his question, he couldn't help but smirk slyly as he added. "You like her, don't you?"

A blush appeared across the other man's face with his true feelings exposed, a nervous cough the first reply Lee got before Sam managed to stammer. "Well, yeah, she's pretty cool. Once you get past that awful temper, but that just reminds me of my first wife. Why, has she said anything about me? Did she tell you? What'd she say?"

"Calm down." Lee laughed, placing a hand on the nerve wrecked survivor. "She ain't said anything to me, but I don't know. Next time you see her, talk to her, see what's what. You guys have only met once."

"Hey, it's love at first sight. Don't knock it." Sam retorted sarcastically, turning on his heel as he walked back to the people standing around the truck, Lee noticing that they were already bringing supplies out of the back in boxes. Turning to his own people, he gestured for them to do the same thing, wanting to exchange their things and return to Howe's. The heavy rain was loud, and could mask any walkers coming for them, or worse, other survivors.

Riley moved closer to him, holding one of the rifles that the guards typically had, the weapon looking almost comical in her small hands. Pausing, she stared at Sam with a neutral expression as he came back from his truck, the older man smiling brightly when he noticed the teenager. "Hey! Riley, isn't it?"

"Yeah. You're… Sam?" she asked, appearing unsure who the man was as he nodded in response. "Sorry. You just look different without that hat."

"Well, you look different with that cool beanie." He pointed out, moving to ruffle it when Riley took a step back, a narrowed glare warning the man off. Holding his hands up, he apologized. "Shit, sorry. I should've recognized you with that angry look on your face. You ain't changed one bit."

"Thanks, it's what kept me alive. Looking constantly angry works well keeping walkers and assholes away." She retorted dryly. Her response earned a chuckle from Lee, his arms crossed as boxes of supplies were traded between the guards in the background, the three survivors standing there and talking. Soon, Omid joined the group, walking over with a smile on his face.

"You guys enjoying standing in the rain?" he joked, pausing between Lee and Sam as he turned to the Wellington survivor. "You're the guy that came to Howe's during Carver, right?"

"That's me. I'm Sam." Sam nodded, shaking Omid's hand with a grin.

"Heya, name's Omid." The shorter persian smiled, returning the gesture with a firm shake.

"Omid's been in my group for a long time. We've gone back even before we knew about Howe's." Lee explained, adding with a warm tone. "He's in my care today. Christa'll kill me if he gets a scratch or something on this run today, especially since he's newly became a father."

"Holy shit, dude. Congratulations." Sam grinned, patting Omid on the back roughly as he added. "I'll warn you now, your wife will make you get out of the bed during those night cries. The amount of times Christa woke me up…"

The mention of that name caused Sam to frown slightly, Lee and Omid glancing at each other as the former asked. "You mentioned that name back at the trailer park. Who's Christa?"

"She is… was my daughter. Lost her in the first few weeks, right after her mom died." Sam explained, trying his best to not let his grief show as he added fondly. "She was a tyrant. Miss her everyday."

"Sam." One of the Wellington guards called out, walking over to the group as they turned to her. Taller than Sam, she stood there with a pistol in her hand, a baseball cap protecting her eyes from the rain that was lightening up, and stared at the other survivors with hazel coloured eyes. Pausing just behind Sam, she gestured to the truck behind her, pointing at it with her thumb, and quickly explained. "All packed up. We should get going, if we're to reach Wellington on time. I don't wanna be the one to explain to Marissa why we were late."

"True. she'll have my head after last time if we're late." Sam sighed, nodding to the truck in a gesture, silently ordering the guard to return whilst he turned back to his friends. Staring at Lee, he grabbed the other's hand in a hard handshake, a smirk on his face as he bid his farewells. "Well, this is where we gotta split. It's good catching up with you, man."

"Same here, Sam, and don't worry." Lee paused, leaning closer to Sam as he continued in a sly tone. "I'll make sure Al goes on the next supply run."

The mention of the woman caused the blush to return, and Sam sported a more goofy grin as he rubbed the back of his neck, nodding as he turned and started making his way, waving goodbye to the group as they returned the gesture. The truck backed away slowly, before turning around and driving back down the road, returning back to the settlement up north with their needed supplies. Riley stood there, watching him go, before she smiled softly. Lee noticed the warm expression on her face, and jokingly asked her. "You getting a crush, Riley?"

"No!" she snapped, looking up at Lee with a glare as she explained. "It's just… this is nice. Being with others, rather than on my own, on those scouting missions. People watch your back, make you feel safe. I know I wouldn't be here if it weren't for people protecting me."

"You watch my back, and I'll watch yours. We're a team, Riley, all of us." Lee responded, placing a hand on her shoulder as she nodded, her smile widening slightly at his words.

Slowly, she shook his hand off, turning back to the truck as she made her way to the back, calling to the leader and his friend. "I'm gonna go back in. We should leave for Howe's, it's too quiet."

Omid nodded in agreement with that, glancing up at Lee with a smirk. "Yeah. God knows Christa is gonna be having a panic attack all the time we've been gone. We should head back if I don't wanna end up sleeping in the chair aga-"

Omid never finished that sentence. Over the loud rainfall, Lee could hear the sound of gunfire, panic taking over when he noticed people standing up from the forests, making their way forward with guns in their hands. Omid stumbled forward, collapsing into Lee's arms as he gasped in pain, and the leader was defenseless as Riley appeared.

With her weapon drawn, she shouted loudly as she fired her gun. "Get down!"

Lee managed to drag Omid over to behind the truck, the latter collapsing with a shocked expression on his face. Kneeling down, Lee couldn't stop the devastation from hitting him when he saw the blood pooling around Omid's upper abdomen, his hand shooting up to stop the bleeding whilst Lee shook his head in disbelief. "Omid, no. Fucking, goddammit!"

"F-Fuck." Omid swore, coughing violently as he rested his head against the vehicle, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth as he gasped. "I didn't e-even see them."

"Just hold on, Omid. I can get you back to Jack, he'll fix you up!" Lee begged, pressing his hands against the wound. The action caused his friend to gasp in pain, his own blood covered hand falling to his side as his breaths became ragged. Removing his hands, Lee knelt there, staring at the blood staining them with everything slowing down around him. He couldn't think. He didn't know what to do, and wasn't listening as Riley appeared out of nowhere.

Kneeling beside him, she noticed Omid's wounds and gasped. "Fuck, they got him!"

"I…" Omid stammered, trying to stand up when, with a cry of pain, he was forced to sit back down. Panting loudly, he stared up at Lee, and finished his sentence with a knowing tone. "I ain't going anywhere, Lee. T-This is the final stop for me."

"Come on, man, I ain't giving up on you!" Lee snapped, trying to help Omid up on his feet whilst yelling at Riley. "Riley, _help me!_ "

She was confused, unsure what to do, and with the gunfire going off all around them, she jumped to her feet and tried to help Lee get Omid back on his feet. It was no use, no matter what Lee did, his friend was forced to sit back down again, his face paling with the blood loss. The young teen was forced to give up, staring down at the blood staining the arm of her sweater with a panicked look on her face. Glancing at Lee, he could clearly see the fear in her eyes, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Eventually, Omid piped up, his voice cracking as he begged Lee. "Lee. I-I need you to promise me that you'll protect my family. Christa and Natia, they need you… _please._ "

"I will. They'll be safe with me, man, I promise…" Lee nodded, his face fallen in heartbreak at watching a close friend dying in front of him.

"Go on, then. G-Get outta here." Omid ordered, staring off into the distance. "Tell Christa I'm sorry, okay? T-Tell her that I love her, and our daughter."

Nodding, Lee watched as Omid smiled at that, turning to Riley as he quickly added. "Riley? Natia's gonna need a-a mentor growing up. You and Sarah, you'll mind her… yeah?"

"I will. I'll teach her all I know." Riley promised, her voice cracking with emotion as tears pricked in the corners of her eyes. Lee tried to compose himself, rubbing his eyes with the back of his arm, and just knelt there as Omid nodded slowly. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly, and stared off into the distance with a glossy look in his eyes. Riley hung her head in sorrow, and Lee gritted his teeth in anger. The bandits had took his friend. He wanted revenge.

"I'm gonna kill all of them!" he shouted in anger, trying to stand up when Riley grabbed his arm.

"Lee, no!" she begged, trying to pull him to the truck. "We both want revenge for Omid, I know that, but that's for another day. Christa needs to know! We have to be alive to be there for her, and Natia! Lee, _please!_ "

Lee stopped in his tracks, allowing Riley to continue holding his arm as he bowed his head. The guards on their side were trying their best to protect them, but it was evident that they had to leave, Joel running around the truck as he stopped in his tracks, noticing Omid's corpse propped against the truck. "Shit! They killed him?!"

"There was nothing we could do!" Riley replied, unable to bring her to look at the body. "We gotta go, now!"

"Lee, what do we do with the body?" Joel asked, looking up at Lee as the latter just stood there. Unable to think, he just stared at Joel with a broken expression, forcing the other male survivor to take control and nod, turning to Riley as he ordered her. "Riley, get in the cab, we're leaving!"

Shocked by the order, she gestured to Omid's body and begged him. "But what about-?!"

"We got no time!" Joel snapped. His sharp response caused her to flinch, before she obeyed his instructions and opened the truck door, climbing in whilst Joel turned to Lee. Placing a hand on his shoulder, the leader looked up at the other man, listening as he sadly instructed him. "Omid's gone, Lee. There's nothing more we can do, but we gotta go! Get in the truck!"

Saying nothing, Lee gave one last glance at Omid's body, before he too climbed in the truck, shutting the door as he and Riley kept their head down. Joel moved to the other side, firing at the attackers whilst the other guards made their way to the back of the truck, jumping into the driver's seat and slamming the door shut. The wheels screeched loudly as he backed up, spinning the truck around as he slammed his foot against the accelerator, the truck lurching forward as they escaped down the road. The bandits were unable to follow, shooting off at the truck before being forced to escape to the forests, likely running back to their main settlement. Out of danger, Joel relaxed, glancing sadly at Riley and Lee as they mourned Omid's passing.

"Hey," he started, his voice quiet with his eyes returning to the road. "I'm sorry about Omid. We couldn't take the body, but at least he isn't suffering."

"I should have never brought him along." Lee mumbled, leaning back in his seat as he stared out of the window, unable to bring himself to look at the others.

"You can't blame yourself for this, Lee. Omid made the choice to come along, and you stayed with him until the end. Not many of us will get that chance." Joel consoled. Lee didn't reply to that, causing the driver to fall silent out of respect for him, instead allowing the leader to mourn quietly. Riley said nothing, staring down at the bloodstained sleeve with a broken expression. The trees passed by quickly, the truck speeding down in a desperate attempt to get home sooner, and the rain continued to fall harshly. Lee felt empty. It was similar to how he felt back in Savannah, when he lost Clementine and Kenny, and he could feel worry gnaw at his insides, making him feel like he wanted to vomit.

He didn't know how he would tell Christa that Omid was not coming home.


	40. No Going Back

"Lee, we're here." Lee was brought out of his thoughts by Joel's voice, the driver was quiet and subdued with his words as he just stared ahead. Glancing up, he noticed the walls of Howe's coming closer, the guards stationed on the walls spotting the approaching vehicle and moving quickly to open the gate, some of them visibly cheerful that the truck had returned with the needed supplies. Driving inside, Lee just stared at the dashboard, ignoring the guards and other survivors around the truck as they made their way to the back of the mall. Slowly, the twisting pain in his gut worsened as they came up to the shutters, his face grim with the loss eating him up inside.

"Do you need some help? Telling Christa, I mean." Riley offered, her voice soft and sympathetic for the older man's pain. He glanced down at her, watching as she couldn't even look at him, rather staring straight ahead whilst her hand messed with the sleeve of her sweater.

Looking back up, he gulped loudly, trying to force the lump lodged in his throat as he rejected her offer. "No. You did all you could, and this is something I gotta do."

Riley didn't argue. Rather she just nodded, remaining silent as they drove into the open loading bay. Nathan was standing there, rubbing his hands clean of oil from working on the other truck, a warm smile on his face when Lee and the others exited the vehicle. However, his smile faltered when he noticed Lee's somber expression, his hand pausing in their movement as the engineer just stood there, confused whilst he walked closer. "Lee, what's wrong?"

Lee glanced downwards in grief, feeling his chest tighten with grief before he managed to lift his gaze up again, staring at Nathan whilst the latter glanced behind him, seemingly realising that they were short one person. Quietly, he turned back to Lee and asked him. "Where's Omid?"

"Omid's… gone." He revealed. Riley stood by his side, glancing up at the leader with concern clear on her face, before looking up at Nathan as the latter backed away slightly, sorrow all he could portray.

"Fuck. Christa was waiting here before, wanting to know if you guys came back yet. I managed to convince her to go do some work. She's upstairs in your office." He explained. Lee nodded in response, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves, and moved towards the door whilst the others got to work unloading the supplies from the truck. Riley didn't know what to do, and tried to follow after him, only to be stopped by Joel and Nathan, the two older men rather guiding her back to help the others with unloading.

Lee pushed the doors open, venting some of his frustration in the inanimate objects as they slammed open. His walk was heavy, footsteps echoing in the air, and people moved out of his way when they saw the dark look on his face, unknowing of the true reason behind his anger. Some of the familiar faces appeared in his view, Sarah standing by the fountain with Nick in front of her, the two of them talking when the latter noticed Lee making his way to the staircase. She attempted to greet him, but the taller survivor beside her stopped her advances, the young teen looking up at him with confusion and worry in her eyes.

Lee paused, glancing over at the two with the anger falling into grief. Nick recognized the look on his face, confused as to what happened outside the walls, but he held his tongue, and instead allowed the leader to continue on his way to his office. Slowing down, he wouldn't lie, he was terrified of bringing the terrible news to Christa. Right after the birth of their daughter. Ignoring the chatter and laughter in the air when he reached the top of the stairs, he paused, staring at the closed office door before sighing quietly. There was no way he could avoid this, Christa was his close friend and deserved to know as soon as possible. Yet, it wasn't any easier being the one to deliver the news.

With a frown on his face, he finally moved forward, walking over to the closed door as the stomach continued to twist painfully, the need to vomit almost overpowering and he could feel his heartbeat pounding in his temples, with the moment just behind the door. Stopping in front of it, he could hear calm conversations occurring within, recognizing Jack's subdued tone of voice. Staring down at the handle, he worked up the courage to open it, and entered the office slowly. Inside, Christa was sitting on the desk with Natia sleeping away in a handmade sling that wrapped diagonally across her chest, her hands keeping the baby secure whilst she chatted away with the doctor standing to the side of her.

The open door caught both of their attention, Christa's face brightening when she saw that it was Lee. Standing up, she moved closer to him, voicing her concerns with a relieved tone. "Thank God you guys are safe. I've been worried all the time you and Omid were gone, but I guess you were right."

"Christa." Lee started, staring at her with saddened eyes. The way he said her name caused her smile to falter, confusion clear in her eyes as she glanced behind him as she was waiting for Omid to appear, and when he didn't show his usually cheerful face, she returned her gaze back to Lee.

"Is Omid helping with unloading downstairs?" she asked, trying to figure out a reason for her boyfriend's missing presence. Lee couldn't reply to that, his gaze falling down to the floor as she pressed, her voice growing desperate. "Lee, answer me! Where is Omid?"

The panic in her voice struck him deep. Jack stood there, watching the conversation with a knowing look, and glanced away with closed eyes when Lee looked past Christa's shoulder at him. Slowly, he managed to meet her eyes again, his voice quiet and filled with sorrow, almost to the point where his words were barely a whisper. "Christa… He's gone."

His words cut her horribly, Christa's face falling in shock and disbelief as she stared at her friend, trying to see if he was mistaken, maybe if he had gotten it wrong. There was no lies in Lee's face however, and the truth of her boyfriend never coming home broke the woman. She backed away, clinging to her baby, Lee following her with a hand reaching to touch her shoulder. "Christa, I'm so sorry."

She shrugged his hand off, rejecting any attempt by Lee to comfort her, and instead just turned her back to him. Jack stood there, unmoving when he saw Christa rejecting Lee's attempts to console her, and watched with a sympathy as she stood still. Unable to see her face, Lee glanced over at the doctor, deciding to try and explain to the grieving woman. "We were on the road, we had just packed up the supplies and Omid was anxious to get back home… and that's when someone came out of the forests. We never saw it coming."

"H-How did he die?" She suddenly asked, keeping her back to him as he noticed her shoulders trembling, Christa taking in a shaky breath before adding. "Did he suffer?"

Lee fell silent, recalling Omid's corpse on the side of the highway, the truck driving away as they abandoned him. There was no time to make sure he didn't come back. Inhaling deeply, he spoke up softly, guilt-ridden with his actions. "He was shot in the chest. It was quick, he didn't suffer for long. He told me to tell you that he's sorry, and that he loves both you and Natia so much."

"Omid…" She sniffed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Lee remained quiet, unnerved when Christa finally turned around, unable to stop the anger in her eyes when she snapped at him. "I told you to bring him home. You promised me, Omid would be safe with you. But you're here and he's not."

"Christa, this isn't his fault." Jack stepped in, moving from his spot by the desk to where Christa was standing. Reaching the space between them, he remained there, trying to calm the situation down by placing a hand on Christa's shoulder, only for her to shrug it off roughly.

Angered by the doctor backing Lee up, she turned her head to him, her voice cracking under the emotional distress she was experiencing. "It is his fault! If he had just backed me up, kept Omid here, then he wouldn't be dead somewhere on the road! He would be here, with his _family!"_

"Christa, please, I-I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Lee begged. She turned away from him, unable to bring herself to look at his distraught face. Natia, with the disturbance occurring around her, started fidgeting in the sling wrapped around her mother, loud cries filling the air as Christa comforted the baby. Shushing her, the older woman just stared at her infant's face. Lee stared down at Natia as well, the thought of the child growing up without her father tearing him up inside.

"I don't know what to say to make this better." He confessed, looking up at her as she just stood there, tears falling down her face before she glanced up at her friend. Slowly, she moved past him, walking towards the door as Lee turned around, watching her go until she paused in front of the door. With Natia still whimpering in her arms, she turned her head to him, and the sight of her defeated expression crushed his heart.

"There's _nothing_ you can say." She replied, and then left the room, the door shutting quietly behind her. Lee stood there. His chest constricted painfully, the look that Christa gave him burned into his mind, and he didn't move when Jack quickly walked past him.

"She needs someone with her. Especially now." He explained cooly, leaving the room before Lee could even reply. Left alone in the empty office, he stared at the door, hoping that Christa would return and they could discuss matters calmly, but it was just wishful thinking. She wasn't coming back. After minutes of remaining still, he finally turned from the door and moved over to the desk, placing both of his hands on the cold wood and staying in that position, trapped in his own thoughts.

Everywhere hurt. It was a physical pain in his chest and stomach, his innards feeling like someone jabbed a hot knife into it and twisted viciously. Hot tears blurred his vision, but were never given a chance to fall as he wiped them away with the back of his hand, glancing down at the wet skin with a somber expression. Listening carefully, he could hear talking outside of the office, the people of his community likely going on with their work without knowing the death that occurred outside their walls. His hand fell back down on the desk, scrunching the report under his fingers as he gritted his teeth in anger and sorrow.

The light from outside filled the office, the clouds hiding the sun away behind a thick blanket of grey. A creak behind him alerted the leader of someone opening the door, his shoulders tensing even when Alicia's voice called out to him, her words laced with empathy as she whispered. "Lee, are you alright?"

He didn't respond. Rather, he listened to the door closing behind her, footsteps coming closer until she stopped a foot behind him. Still staring down at the reports on the desk, he felt his muscles in his arms tense when she continued. "I saw Jack and Christa leaving your office just then. They told me about Omid. I'm sorry, Lee, I know he was…"

" _He was my friend!"_ Lee yelled, swiping his arms across the desk and sending everything on top of it tumbling to the floor. The sudden noises startled Alicia, the woman backing away with a fearful expression on her face whilst Lee just stared down at the mess he made. Legs wobbling, he sat down, pushing his back against the desk as he just held his head in his hands. His voice, no longer holding any of that rage, dropped to a pitiful whisper as he mourned the passing of his friend. "He was my friend, and I got him killed."

"Lee, listen to me." Alicia replied sternly, kneeling down in front of the leader as he lifted his head, staring at her with reddened eyes whilst she grabbed hold of his hands. "What happened to Omid was not your fault. He chose to go with you, he chose to be by your side during this supply run, and he chose to do all that because he was your friend. He wanted to help you. The people from Charleston killed him, not you…"

"Christa doesn't think so. She trusted me, Alicia, and I let her down. She and Omid were the only friends I had left from before." He muttered, letting his gaze fall down to her petite hands in his own. She appeared thoughtful, unsure how to rebut his claims, and instead just smiled at him sadly.

"Maybe, but you have people here that still care about you." She responded, her words causing Lee to scoff bitterly under his breath.

"Sarah can't bring herself to trust me again, Nick's got bigger problems on his mind after Pete and Luke, and half the time, I don't know whether Lilly wants to joke together or take her anger out on me." He pointed out, unable to stop the feeling of despair from returning. It was exhausting, the thoughts that he had gotten rid of for months worming their way back into the back of his mind. "Who else really cares about me?"

Alicia paused for a few seconds, thinking about whether to answer his desperate question or remain silent. Her grip on his hands tightened, her eyes fixed on his, and she quietly replied, almost unsure whether she should say it or not. "I do."

Her confession caused him to freeze in surprise, his eyes widening slightly as he brought his gaze up to her own, noticing that she was afraid. He wouldn't blame her. The effects of Carver still had its grip on Howe's and its people, and so he just allowed her to continue holding his hands, finding some peace in being close to another person. Barely a whisper, he kept his head up this time as he nodded. "I… Thank you."

His grateful words calmed Alicia down, the fear fading away from her features as she smiled once more, standing up whilst Lee just sat there. Watching her, he remained still as she picked up the reports left sprawled across the floor, cleaning up the mess that he made in a fit of rage and grief. After watching her clean up some of the reports, he stood up as well, silently offering her a helping hand as the duo went to work cleaning the mess up. Taking some of the files that she picked up, he stacked them neatly back on the desk, repeating this action until all the papers were back where they belonged.

With that done, Alicia placed a hand on his shoulder, the gesture soft and caring as he glanced behind his shoulder, standing there as she muttered to him. "I'll give you some space. If you need any company later on, just tell me, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks again for this." He replied gratefully. Pleased with his kind words, she backed away quickly, making her own way out of the office whilst Lee just walked over to his chair, slouching down in it with his grim look returning to his face. He didn't feel the pange of hunger in his stomach, and so made no effort to move from his chair, or leave his office, in order to go to the restaurant for food. Rather, exhaustion, both physical and emotional, hit him like a freight train, and so he decided to have a short nap to escape the tightness in his chest.

When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see that he was no longer in his office, and no longer sitting in the thick leather office chair he was used to sitting in. Rather, he was back in the barn on Hershel's farm. The thin sleeping bag underneath him, the cold wind blowing through the open barn doors and chilling his exposed skin, it was almost real to him. Sitting up, he kept staring forward, almost afraid to turn his head to look at the sleeping bag next to him, and when he gathered the courage to do so, the breath he didn't even realise he was holding was released in a quiet gasp.

Clementine was lying there, sleeping peacefully with her hands under her head, her hat still on her head as Lee sat there staring at her. His movements and panicked gasps seemed to have woken her up however, as bright amber eyes slowly appeared as she blinked multiple times in confusion. Staring at her protector, her high-pitched, innocent voice whispered to him. "Lee, are you okay?"

Lee didn't reply immediately, rather staring at the ground between them with a grim expression. Slowly, he tried to comfort her, seeing the young girl obviously worried for him. "Yeah. It was just a bad dream, sweetpea."

"I get them too, sometimes." She confessed, sitting up into an upright position, her legs crossed as she stared at Lee with sleepy eyes. "What were you dreaming about?"

All the things that happened flashed in Lee's mind. Carver's reign, Omid's death, Sarah finding out about Carlos, it all felt so real to the point that it pained him to even think about them. Clementine was only young. She wouldn't understand the things he had to do, and so he gave her a lighthearted response. "Just monsters, really. Nothing to worry about."

"Were they like the monsters out there?" she asked, glancing nervously outside the barn, likely knowing that somewhere beyond the farm's fences, the undead were roaming around.

Lee nodded at that, and listened as Clementine continued her questions. "Lee? Have you ever done something that you wish you could take back?"

"Sometimes, yeah… Why?" he wondered, staring down at the child whilst her gaze turned sorrowful. Turning her head away from the open barn doors, she looked back up at him before she quietly mumbled.

"I feel bad. I didn't say goodbye to my mom like Sandra wanted me to. I hope she's not mad at me." Lee smiled at that, having missed the simpler times where he didn't have to worry about his people's safety, making sure they were fed and had medical care. The smile faded when Clementine asked him something again, her voice unsure and saddened. "Sandra was one of those monsters, wasn't she?"

"Yeah… She was, Clem." He sighed, nodding slowly whilst Clementine's eyes fell, quickly adding to make her feel better. "But we made sure she wasn't anymore. She can rest in peace now. It's the best thing for people who become those monsters, okay?"

She pulled a face, visibly confused with his reasoning, but rather than disagree with him, she just acknowledged the truth in his words. "Okay, that makes sense. What if it's someone close, though? I don't wanna hurt anyone like that."

"Sometimes, you don't have a choice, but I understand your hesitance with this, Clem. Hurting people, even for their own good, can change a person, and you may not like the end result. Do you understand?" Lee explained, the memory of back at the jewellery store in Savannah fresh in his mind. He didn't know if this was a dream or if it was reality, but he didn't care, he just enjoyed being able to talk to Clementine again. However, his grieving face caused the young girl to become wary, unsure what to say to make him feel better.

"You look sad." She pointed out, visibly concerned for the older man. "What happened?"

"Nothing's happened." He lied. "I'm just tired, it's been a long day."

Clementine seemed to have noticed that he wasn't completely telling her the truth, but let it go regardless, instead lying back down whilst Lee laid down on his back, staring up at the barn ceiling as he listened to the crickets chirping in the distance, unsure how much longer they had to get some sleep. The child in his care, however, wasn't planning on falling asleep just then, and rather piped up once more. "I'm glad you found me in my treehouse."

"I'm glad too, sweetpea." He smiled, turning his head to look at her as she slowly drifted back to sleep. Left alone, he allowed his smile to fall again, staring at the peaceful expression on Clementine's face as he muttered. " _I'm sorry_."

His eyes then moved back to the ceiling, staring up at it as he slowly felt himself drifting off, the corners of his vision being consumed in darkness until that was all he could see. Lee was thankful. The dream was not like any of the others, and having a normal conversation with Clementine managed to put something inside of him at ease, his memories of her beings ones where times were good, rather than his failings in protecting her.

Once his eyes opened again, he was greeted to the silent stillness of his office. His neck was stiff from the awkward sleeping position, his back sore and his arms stretched in front of him until they popped, and he leaned back in his chair with a deep sigh. Recalling the dream, his hand ghosted over the handle of the top left drawer, his eyes falling when he opened it, spotting Clementine's hat inside. Slowly, he took it out, staring at the dried bloodstain on the corner, just under the D, and for once, he didn't feel complete despair over the young girl no longer being there. He missed her dearly, but he also knew that it was time to move on, to look to the future.

With it still in his hands, his eyes lifted to the door when he heard it open. The leader was about to cast the person away, wanting to be alone, but he stopped just before he shouted at them, having recognized the person to be Sarah. The young teen stood by the door, her face grim that could only mean that she found out what happened to Omid, and when Lee didn't say anything to send her off, she took it as a cue to come further into the office, shutting the door behind her. Quickly, she made her way over to the front of the desk, pausing when she reached it.

Lee just sat there, staring at her with a soft expression on his face, listening as she finally spoke up. "I heard about Omid. I'm so sorry, Lee. He was a great guy."

"He was…" he agreed somberly, his gaze falling down to Clementine's hat in his hands once more. Sarah noticed the object, staring down at it with a saddened look in her eyes, her voice quieted as she pointed out.

"That's her hat." She paused, looking up at Lee's face before she continued. "Do you still miss her?"

"Everyday." Lee confessed, his thumb running over the fabric of the hat, moving down to run along the brim before he sighed deeply. Slowly, he placed it on his desk, staring up at Sarah as she stood there, unsure what to say as he began explaining. "She's gone, though. I wish that she was here, you know? Often, I wonder if this was the safety that I dreamt of giving her, back at the motel our group stayed in. Walls, food, medicine. I've made mistakes, Sarah. I ain't gonna lie, it'll haunt me for the rest of my days, but I also have to move on. I can take solace in knowing that she isn't suffering anymore."

"That's something at least, right?" She replied. "At least you have something to remember her by."

"Yeah, I guess I do." He smiled slightly, leaving the hat on his desk as he looked up at Sarah, noticing her face falling even more. His smile disappeared, and rather he sat there with a frown as her hand moved to the pocket of her jacket. Confused, he said nothing, instead just watching as she pulled something out, that confusion turning to realisation when he recognized the object to be a photo. The same photo she showed him when he returned from Wellington.

"I'm confused." She confessed, staring down at the photo whilst Lee leaned forward in his seat, resting his arms on his desk as she continued. "All that time I spent on my own, this was the only thing I had with me. I was upset, I was _angry._ I wanted to hate but forgive you at the same time. No matter what you did, you kept me safe, you looked after me, but you also lied to me. You gave me false hope."

"I would take it all back if I could." Lee answered, guilt starting to show on his face, it eating up at him from the inside. Sarah didn't smile at his words, rather she showed the photo back in her jacket pocket, and met Lee's gaze with her own. In her eyes, he didn't see any hate in them, rather they were conflicted, unsure of what to feel.

"You can't, though. We both gotta live with our mistakes. Looking back, knowing that I was willing to leave my friends behind, I don't feel good about that." She explained, her lips curling slightly in a smile. "I wanna help people, like my dad did. Nick, Christa, Lilly, they all need me. I need them. Eventually, maybe I'll understand what I'm feeling, but I know that I don't want to hate anyone. I don't want to hate you, Lee."

"I'm glad, Sarah. So, what are you gonna do?" He asked.

Sarah remained silent for a moment, and then, having decided the course she was taking, answered his question with a determined tone. "I'm learning how to become a full-fledged doctor. Jack's teaching me all he knows, so I can help him around the clinic more."

"That's good to hear." Lee smiled, pleased when Sarah returns his smile with her own. With a deep sigh, he leaned back in his chair, staring at the contents on his desk as he slowly added. "Go on, then. You should go get dinner."

"I was heading that way before. You should come too, you need to eat." She pressed, turning around and walking over to the door quickly. Lee sat there, making no effort to get up when she reached the door, turning back as she waited for the leader to follow after her. A frown deepened on her face when he didn't though, and she called to him with a concerned tone. "I can bring you something later on, if you're not hungry."

"Thank you, Sarah." He replied, watching as she nodded in response and opened the door, pausing momentarily as she glanced outside. Intrigued by this, Lee stood up from his chair, listening as someone talked quietly to the young teen. Sarah moved back, surprised, Lee standing there as Kate rushed inside and, once spotting him moving around his desk, smiled brightly.

She ran over to the older man, arms stretched forwards as Lee knelt down, bringing her into a hug. His smile widened as she shoved her face into his shirt, holding onto him tightly whilst he stood up, carrying her as Sarah smiled warmly at the scene. Shortly after, Lilly appeared from behind the door, pleased with the sight before her. Lee held Kate close, standing there as Lilly made her way over to him, the young teen behind her giving the two some privacy to talk things out, closing the office door behind her.

"It's been a pretty shit day, huh?" She sighed, staring at Kate with a worried expression. "She's pretty happy to see you back home."

"I guess so. I'm not gonna lie, Lilly, having her here helps a bit." Lee revealed, feeling the child breathing softly with his hand resting on her back. Crossing her arms, she stared at Kate's head, the child's face hidden away, before he asked her. "How's your eye?"

"It's… It's not good. I don't know what's wrong with me. It's like everything just gets on top and it becomes too much, I can't control how I react to it. I just want one day of peace, and now we've lost a good man because of these fucking bandits." She hissed, clearly affected by Omid's death. Lee nodded in agreement, sharing her frustration in their inability to keep the peace, and he watched as she took in a deep breath, composing herself enough to be able to talk without losing her temper.

With a sigh, she turned away from the grown man, rather moving over to the window behind Lee's desk and staring out of it. "We can't let them get away with this, Lee. You know what this means, right?"

"We're in a war now. Those bastards will pay for what they've done to our people." He snapped, sitting down on his desk with Kate still in his arms. Lilly didn't say anything, rather watching the people walking around down below, her back to Lee so he couldn't see her expressions.

"With Omid's death and Natia to think about, I'm worried about Christa. I wanna help, with the security and that. I just… I don't want to be on the sidelines anymore. I have to do _something._ " She confessed, turning her head to face Lee as she added. "It's not just revenge either. We gotta deal with these bandits to ensure our community prospers for the next generation. Sarah, Kate, Natia, they all depend on us to make a brighter future for them."

Lee nodded in response. Feeling movement against his shoulder, he glanced down, noticing that Kate was staring at him with her large eyes, unsure what was going on in her home. With a comforting smile, he brushed a stray hair from in front of her face affectionately, and looked back up at Lilly, both of them sharing a knowing look. She was right, and he knew that as he quietly replied.

"Yeah… we do."

 _ **A/N: This is the final chapter of Tables Turned. We wanted to thank everyone who's reviewed and liked this story, and we will see you all soon with the next installation. Goodbye!**_


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